


An American Werewolf in Denver

by Sparrowsverse



Category: Magnificent Seven (TV)
Genre: F/M, Magnificent Seven ATF, Minor Character Death, Werewolves, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-13
Updated: 2012-01-13
Packaged: 2017-10-29 11:00:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 23,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/319177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sparrowsverse/pseuds/Sparrowsverse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>JD Dunne undergoes some changes when attacked by a strange creature on a full moon night. Confused about what’s happening to him, can he trust Team Seven to help him through it all? Or will outside influences turn him against his friends and brothers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanna say a huge thanks to bookaddict43 for the last minute step in as my beta and also being my artist! Yay! Written for the first Magnificent Seven Big Bang, this was a challenge and a half to get this all written out and I just want to say thank you for the encouragement and support of my friends while I was getting this out – you know who you are. I hope all my warnings are appropriate and if you feel I’ve missed anything, feel free to point it out and I’ll be happy to add it to the list. :) Enjoy!

"For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack. -Rudyard Kipling"

 

 _Afi – Grandfather  
lítill úlfur – little wolf  
dótturdóttir- granddaughter  
Já – yes  
lítill jarfi – little wolves  
systir – sister  
fæddur varúlfur – born werewolves_

 _“italics” = thoughts_

 _But every day, as it drew towards evening, he would grow so ill-tempered that no-one could speak to him, and it wasn't long before he would go to bed. There was talk about his being a shape-changer, and people called him Kveld-Ulfr ["Evening Wolf"] (Palsson and Edwards, Egil's Saga, p.21)._

“Afi! Afi!” A little girl with dark curly hair exclaimed brightly.

“Yes, my lítill úlfur?” An older man with jet black hair and silver colouring at the temples replied.

A slightly older girl with blond hair and blue eyes was sitting next to the other smaller girl; both were looking at Afi attentively.

“When do we get to change, Afi?” The curly haired girl pouted.

“Soon dótturdóttir, soon,” The older man known as Afi promised.

“I want to change now! I feel all itchy!”

Afi’s warm brown eyes went hard and turned the colour amber. “Patience and you’ll change when it’s time to change.” His hand grabbed her chin and forced her face towards the blond haired girl. “Why can’t you be like Kate, Maddie? She has learnt control and patience, when you do to, you can change whenever you want.”

Maddie kept the pout on her face.

“My Maddie, we are descended from the Norse Berserker Warriors, The Úlfhéðnar, who wore wolf pelts in battle. When the Vikings landed in North America, they brought the wolf pelts with them and one of the Vikings was left behind. He mated with an Aboriginal while wearing the pelt and they had a child. The child soon had powers that didn’t require a wolf pelt. She could change anytime she wanted into wolf form, but was still controlled by the moon. When she was old enough, she mated and had another child. Their legacy to us gave us a gift to survive this world. We are fæddur varúlfur and we have control,” Afi explained. “Do you wish to become one of our Viking ancestors of old? We have evolved from that and are better werewolves than that. Do you both understand that?”

“Já, Afi,” Kate and Maddie replied back in unison.

“So control is important my lítill jarfi,” Afi smiled at the two.

~~~

Two honey coloured wolves huddled against a large pine tree in a forest, they were no larger than a full grown German Sheppard. The naked body of a man with jet black hair and grey coloured temples laid on the wet ground, brown eyes stared out dull and empty. A large hole in the man’s chest had blood oozing out, sluggish and slow.

Three other men were in the clearing, all carrying rifles and shotguns.

The tallest of the trio nudged the downed man with a boot and then fired another slug into the head as well, satisfied his prey was down.

“That’s one less werewolf in the world, men.”

“What about those other two wolves?” This time the shorter man asked a question.

The last man discharged the shells from his shotgun and loaded more in. “We hunt them down and exterminate them. Things like their kind should not be left alive in the world.”

Amber coloured eyes watched the trio of men leave the clearing. After a significant amount of time, the slightly larger of the honey coloured wolf, nudged the smaller one with a nose and the two walked around the older man.

Like flowing water, the two wolves shifted in the clearing and soon, there stood two naked little girls.

“Afi,” the smaller girl sobbed and curled around the older man. “Afi.”

The older girl kept wary eyes open and allowed the smaller girl to cry out her grief.

“Kate, Afi’s gone.”

Kate crouched down and hugged her sister close. “We have each other, Maddie.”

Nodding, the younger girl furiously wiped the tears away from her eyes.

Quickly, Kate transformed and nudged Maddie’s leg with a wet nose.

“I hate humans,” was quickly whispered and the younger girl transformed and followed her older sister out of the woods with barely a glance back.

~~~

 _10 years later_

Two girls in their late teens sat in the back of a broke down pick-up truck, located in a field just before a forest. Wrapped in flannel and jeans, the older of the two was chewing on a piece of long grass as they stared out into the woods.

Brown curls were in a pony tail as the younger girl tapped out a rhythm on the cab of the truck.

“When we gonna go? Tired of staying here, Kate,” Maddie complained.

“Soon,” Kate agreed.

“I’m fucking bored here.” And then a canine whine escaped from Maddie’s lips as her head jerked forward.

“Don’t swear, systir,” Kate growled, blue eyes flashing amber.

Maddie growled back. “I’m old enough.”

“Nope,” Kate sing-songed.

Growling playfully, brown eyes flashed amber as Maddie tackled Kate off of the truck and the two started to roll around the grass. After a few minutes of tussling, the two were breathing hard, flat out on their backs.

“What are we gonna do, Kate?” Maddie whispered to her sister.

“Was thinking maybe, bounty hunting,” Kate replied back. “Tracking in the big city can’t be that different from tracking in the woods and we’re both a dead shot. We’d be traveling a lot, but we’d make it work.”

“Bounty hunting, huh?” A large smile bloomed onto Maddie’s face. “Sounds wicked to me.”

~~~

 **5 Years Later**

Kate furiously paced the hotel room.

Six steps towards the door, pivot, six steps towards the wall, pivot and repeat.

They had separated eight hours ago and agreed to meet up at the designated rendezvous point, but she had only made it back to the hotel room.

 _Maddie should’ve been back two hours ago!_ Kate thought furiously.

Grabbing her bag off the bed, the older woman headed back towards the door and was about to open it, when the door knob began to turn.

Un-tucking the gun from the back her jeans, she quickly took a step back as the door swung open.

The pale light of the almost full moon highlighted the figure in the doorway.

“Maddie?”

“I did something stupid, Kate,” Maddie whispered and fell forward into Kate’s waiting arms, unconscious.

Letting her bag and gun fall to the floor as she caught her sister, Kate brushed a curly lock of hair from Maddie’s face and swallowed.

Her baby sister was covered from head to toe in blood and not animal blood, but human blood from the tentative sniff she took. Kate could tell the difference.

“Oh Maddie, what happened to you?” Kate whispered.

Stripping her sister from the bloody clothes and Kate washed Maddie down in the shower. Dried off and placed in clean clothing, Kate tucked Maddie’s unconscious form into bed and grabbed a nearby chair to take watch for the night.

 _If Maddie had eaten human flesh, she could become Vargulf, a rogue wolf with only human flesh on the mind._ Kate thought and then shook her head. _I can’t think like that, she’s still my little sister, still my responsibility, no matter what she does._

~~~

They had gotten back into bounty hunting a few weeks later when it looked like Maddie had healed, but Kate watched the next few months passed by as her sister descend into bloodlust and madness. She found out that a hunter had captured her sister. The story was spilled out in pieces of drunken anger and madness.

The bastard had tortured her sister with silver.

Maddie had managed to escape and ended up killing and eating the hunter in rage.

Now, as she tightened her hand around her beer bottle in the bar, Kate took a swing of the beverage and watched as Maddie seduced their mark with vodka and a lap dance.

Maddie was getting more dangerous. Prone to taking bigger risks and Kate didn’t know what to do. Her little sister was slipping further and further away from her.

 _~There is a house  
Down in New Orleans  
They call the Rising Sun...~_

The words flowed easily and freely from Maddie’s lips as she took another long sip from the vodka bottle as she grinded her body closer into the older man’s lap.

 _~It’s been the ruin  
Of many a poor boy  
And God knows  
You’re one...~_

Kate listened in, enhanced hearing picking up the slight twist of lyrics being changed as she watched Maddie lead their prey away.

Waiting a few minutes and finishing her drink, she slipped out the same side entrance her sister used. Nose picking up her sister’s scent easily, she followed the trail into an alleyway.

An alleyway light, dimply lit, poured down onto the pavement and Kate could see the man was slumped to his side and Maddie was licking something off her fingers.

“Maddie?”

“Kate!” Maddie grinned, lips stained red.

“We needed him alive, Maddie,” Kate scolded as she slowly approached the scene.

“He tried putting his hand down my pants,” Maddie pouted and something dark and ugly flashed across her face. “Never again!”

Kate felt something twist inside, what happened with the hunter that turned her sister into this was apparently uglier than she thought. Protective instincts rose inside and she felt her inner wolf growl.

Watching her sister stand up and lick the blood off her fingers, Kate knew something had to be done. _Maybe one of Afi’s old cleansing rituals could do something..._

“What?” Maddie asked sullenly. “Whatcha lookin’ at me like that for?”

“I’m just worried about you,” Kate said and tugged Maddie into an embrace.

“Get off,” Maddie grumbled and pushed Kate away. “You’re crowding too close.”

Chuckling and bending over, Kate hefted the dead man over her shoulder and the two exited the alleyway with their bounty in tow.

~~~

 _2 Months Later_

Consciousness slowly returned to Kate in the darkened forest clearing.

Wincing, she brought a hand up to her head and pulled away when she felt something sticky. Looking at the blood staining her palm, Kate slowly sat up.

The cleansing ritual was a bad idea and it made Maddie even more paranoid and crazy. Kate remembered something hitting her in the head and knocking her out. Looking over to the side, she noticed a tree log.

 _Oh, so that’s what knocked me out._ Kate thought.

Memories started to slowly return, Maddie snarling and going crazy, eyes flashing amber and how her own sister was betraying her.

And then the log.

Getting up to her feet, she sighed heavily and looked around the clearing. Maddie was nowhere in sight.

 _She had split; her own flesh and blood had turned on her. Didn’t Maddie understand she was only trying to help? She didn’t want to have to hunt her own sister down, but it looked like she would have to._

Taking a tentative sniff of the air, Kate breathed in her sister’s scent, a scent she knew as well as her own and took off into the woods, following.


	2. Chapter 1

"The wolf is kept fed by its feet. -Russian Proverb"

 

 _**2 Years Later** _

_Well, it's a marvellous night for a moondance  
With the stars up above in your eyes  
A fantabulous night to make romance  
'Neath the cover of October skies  
(Moondance by Van Morrison)_

JD smiled in wonder as Casey made her way down the sidewalk, her hand in his as they made their way towards Ezra’s Jaguar. The southern man had lent it to JD for the night, with the promise if _“One scratch was on his car, there would be serious bodily harm on JD’s persons.”_

With the promise made and the car secured, he opened the side passenger door and helped his girlfriend in.

They were dressed to the nine’s, him in a black tux and her in a red strapless dress with a small black clutch purse, black heels and her hair up in a simple, but elegant up do.

Smoothly navigating the vehicle among the roads of Denver, the duo quickly arrived at their destination: Luca D’Italia.

The car was quickly parked and JD and Casey entered the restaurant and were shown to their table right away.

“That was quick,” Casey commented as JD helped her into her chair.

Sitting down, JD grinned. “It pays to make reservations a couple of months in advance.”

Casey returned the grin as menus were laid out in front of them.

“Our specials tonight are the Dry Aged New York Strip paired with lobster whipped potatoes and local asparagus. Also the Pappardelle Bolognese made in a traditional meat ragù and parmigiano reggiano,” the waiter recited. “The wines for tonight are a local made Green Apple white wine and a local made Blackberry red wine.”

“Oh, the blackberry wine sounds good, JD,” Casey said excitedly.

“Sounds good to me too, Case,” JD replied back and then turned his attention to the waiter. “We’ll get the tasting menu with a bottle of that blackberry red wine, along with a couple of glasses of water.”

“Of course, sir,” The waiter replied back and took the menus back with him.

“This place is so fancy, JD, what’s the occasion?”

“Well, it’s been a couple of years since we met and tonight is actually the anniversary of our first date,” JD smiled at Casey.

“Oh,” Casey sighed. “That’s so romantic of you.”

“Well, it was either this place or the hotdog stand where I took us the first time we dated,” JD grinned.

“Good thing too, I don’t plan on washing mustard out of this dress,” Casey laughed lightly as she gestured at the red dress.

JD blushed. “I did say I was sorry about that.”

Reaching across the table, she grabbed JD’s hand. “I may forgive you someday in the future.”

“Oh good, I thought I’d be in the dog house over that for a very long time.”

The waiter had returned with their water, lemon wedged on the rim of their glasses.

Idle chitchat continued to dominate the conversation, mostly of the “How’s work?” variety and what kind of plans they should make for next weekend, camping was the main topic for that.

Sipping at the water, JD’s eyes widened as he felt Casey’s foot playing with his and then choked on the water as it went up his pant leg.

Casey merely smiled over her water glass as she continued her ministrations.

The waiter returned with their food and placed both dishes in front of them.

“For you sir, the chef has prepared a Lasagne Rollata al Forno, lasagne rolls stuffed with ricotta, mozzarella, asiago, parmesan and romano cheese. Topped with mozzarella and seasoned breadcrumbs, baked in five cheese marinara,” the waiter explained and then gestured at Casey’s dish. “For you madam, the chef has made a Garlic-Herb Chicken con Broccoli, rosemary-seasoned chicken breasts sautéed with fresh broccoli in a garlic cream sauce over orecchiette pasta.”

“It looks absolutely delicious,” Casey excitedly said.

Pulling the wine bottle from the wine bucket another waiter had brought, while he had explained the dishes, the red liquid was swiftly poured into the glasses and both JD and Casey could smell the fruity fragrance.

Gazing at one another, they barely noticed the waiter leaving their table as they picked up their wine glasses and toasted one another.

“To our anniversary and us,” JD toasted.

Casey repeated the line and her glass made a light clinking sound against JD’s and they sipped at the wine.

Food was consumed as they shared bites from each other’s dishes.

Light touches against one another’s faces as forks were placed inside mouths and the silverware was slowly removed, trailing past tongue and teeth. A slight bit of juice was resting on Casey’s lip and JD brushed it off with the pad of his thumb and licked it off.

“Want to get out of here?” JD asked of Casey. The food wasn’t even half done and the bottle of wine had been barely consumed, they only had one glass each. He rubbed Casey’s hand. “Go somewhere else?”

“And what else do you have planned tonight, Mr. Dunne?”

“This and that,” came a grin of future promise.

Agreeing, the food and wine were quickly boxed up, bill paid off and once again, Ezra’s Jaguar was being manoeuvred along the streets.

Casey watched as the scenery rolled past by and knew by the landmarks they were heading to Centennial Park. Why there, Casey had no idea, but she assumed it was more or less part of the romantic evening JD had planned. She had hoped that they were heading back to JD’s place for a more, intimate evening, but she was sure whatever was happening, it would be wonderful.

The Jag rolled into one of the side parking lots and JD bounced out of the vehicle, excitement lining his body. Helping Casey out of the car, he had made sure to grab the bottle of wine earlier from the restaurant and then went and unlocked the trunk and grabbed a blanket and a picnic basket.

Offering his arm to Casey, the duo walked across the parking lot, down the side walk and towards the bank near the small pond.

Laying the blanket down onto the grass, he helped Casey seat herself onto the thick woollen blanket. Opening up the picnic basket, he plucked out a plastic champagne glass, uncorked the wine bottle and poured Casey a small amount.

Casey giggled as JD juggled all of the items, set them down and then sat on the blanket himself, plastic champagne glasses in hand.

Leaning on his side, he brushed a piece of hair away from Casey’s face that had escaped from her up do.

She smiled at him and leaned in for a kiss. “You are wonderful, JD. All of this wonderful.”

“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself,” JD replied and leaned into the kiss Casey brushed against his lips.

They quickly consumed their wine and leaned back against the blanket. Casey snuggled into JD’s side, the full moon shone brightly on them and the stars to them were twinkling.

It was a magical and romantic night.

They traced out what constellations they could find and made up new stories about them.

Soon, it became late into the night and they were both starting to yawn.

“This has been really romantic, JD,” Casey said as she stood up, brushing away imaginary dirt from her dress.

“Good, ‘cause I have one last surprise before we go home,” JD softly stated as he reached for something inside his jacket pocket and kneeled. Bringing out a small black box, he popped it open. “Casey Wells, will you marry me?”

Gasping in surprise and delight, Casey looked at the ring in the box and held out her left hand. “Yes, yes, you silly goose!”

Whooping with delight, JD got the ring out of the box and went to go put it on Casey’s ring finger; he fumbled the ring in his fingers and cursed as it dropped onto the blanket.

“You klutz,” Casey lightly teased.

Cheeks reddening with embarrassment, JD bent over and grabbed the ring when he felt a slight wind pass over his back.

Casey’s scream brought JD’s head up from his searching of the ring and he saw this shape on his fiancé, several feet away. There was no hesitation as adrenaline filled him as he sprinted forward and tackled the ‘thing’ off of Casey.

Getting to his feet, JD ran to Casey’s side. Blood was covering her from head to toe and some sort of claw mark marred her face, shoulder and torso.

He needed to get her to the hospital.

Now.

“J...D...,” Casey choked out, blood escaping from her lips.

He barely got to reply or even help when he felt a searing pain across his shoulder. Screaming, he managed to turn his head to side and came face to face with a large wolf head, amber eyes glaring into his and large teeth clamped onto his shoulder.

He was tossed from side to side, teeth clamping down even harder into muscle and bone.

Air then whistled past him as JD realized he was flying through the air and then hit the ground hard and skidded a few feet into the grass.

Amongst the pain in the shoulder and now his leg and other arm, he blinked past the darkness that threatened to send him unconscious and slowly got to his feet. JD pushed past the pain and did a limping type jog as he tried valiantly to save Casey.

“CASEY!!!” JD yelled out.

But the beast or wolf, JD wasn’t sure, was done ravaging Casey’s body and had now turned its sights on him.

Maybe luck was with him that day, although JD would vehemently deny that, but the whoop-whoop sound of a police cruiser brought nothing but relief to him and he watched as the creature ran away, bounding along the path and disappearing into a patch of trees.

He didn’t hear the police call out to him in warning as he fell to his knees and then face first into the grass as he passed out from the pain and the trauma of his fiancé being eaten in front of him.


	3. Chapter 2

"Throughout the centuries we have projected on to the wolf the qualities we most despise and fear in ourselves. -Barry Lopez"

 _I think we all have to fight the werewolf within us somehow. - William Kempe_

Buck sighed what felt like the millionth sigh in the past week and a half. Letting his eyes wander over to the figure lying in the hospital bed, it was easy to see why the moustached man was troubled.

JD Dunne and Casey Wells had been discovered by a police cruiser at Centennial Park. The police had been patrolling nearby investigating rumours of unruly teenagers upsetting the atmosphere late at night when they had stumbled upon the scene.

Casey dead and ravaged by what looked like some huge creature, the police officers only saw some sort of shape bound off into the trees.

JD’s shoulder ended up as a chew toy and had sprained his ankle and other arm, which Buck figured had healed up by now.

But his teammate, his friend – no his brother, still hadn’t woken up.

The doctors were spouting some sort of bullshit about trauma and what he saw might’ve sent him fleeing into his own head to heal or hide, but Buck knew JD wasn’t a quitter and could only hope the kid woke up soon and explain what happened.

~~~

It was dark and the full moon hung ominously in the night sky.

The smell of pine and fresh air tickled JD’s nose as he raced through the woods. Feet pounding on the dirt ground, air being sucked in greedily through his nose and exhaled through his mouth as he tried to escape what was chasing him.

He risked a glance back and then cried out as he hit the ground hard.

An exposed tree root had ended up tripping him when he glanced to the side.

Heavy breathing along his left ear alerted JD to the fact that what was chasing him had now caught up.

“You need to get up, JD.”

 _Casey?_

“You need to escape, don’t let it take you over!”

JD tried to move, to see where Casey’s voice was coming from, anything. But the creature had him pinned, belly down in the dirt. But a spark of hope ignited in his chest. _Casey wasn’t dead! She was still alive somehow._

“Oh, JD, you couldn’t be further from the truth.”

Whatever JD might’ve thought or said was lost as the thing bit savagely into JD’s shoulder, which caused JD to bring his head up and then scream in horror and in pain.

Casey was a few feet away from him, but she was heavily mutilated. Long, deep gouges across her cheek and upper torso had JD seeing bone and partial organs.

“Cas...ey...” JD choked out.

“I told you to escape,” Casey brokenly whispered.

Whatever else she might’ve said to JD was lost on deaf ears as the beast tore savagely into his back with its claws and howled out its triumph.

A mock cry of the creature’s howl escaped JD’s lips as he felt the pain being inflicted upon his body and his eyes flashed amber.

~~~

Buck sighed as he watched the coffee pour from the vending machines’ small tube into a Styrofoam cup. Rubbing a hand over his face, he winced as he realized his moustache was growing into a beard.

He needed to shave at some point.

It also hit close to home how long he’d been staying in the hospital watching over JD. Only barely pausing to eat and sleep. He could only imagine what Chris was saying to Director Travis about him missing so much work.

The boys would appear at random times, but they would visit at least once a day.

Grabbing the coffee cup, Buck took a long sip and then started the walk back to JD’s room.

A few nurses rushed past him, nearly making him lose his grip on the cup, when a sinking feeling entered his stomach. It looked like they were heading towards JD’s room.

 _But there was nothing announced on the PA system._ Buck thought worriedly and quickened his stride.

That’s when he heard the screaming.

The coffee cup slipped from his hand and hit the floor, liquid splattering everywhere as Buck broke out in a dead run towards JD’s room.

Buck hit the frame of the doorway as he skidded to a stop and watched the chaos unfold before him.

“CASEY!!!”

JD was awake, but he was panicking.

Orderlies were holding down a screaming JD as he tried to escape their grip. A doctor was ordering some kind of sedative, Buck wasn’t sure what kind, just knew that it would knock the kid out.

“CASEY!!! WHERE’S CASEY?” JD screamed as he tried to escape.

That’s when the restraints came out.

“HEY!” Buck yelled and strode forward, intent on stopping the nurses and orderlies from strapping his friend down.

“Mr. Wilmington!” one of the nurses snapped at the older man. “It’s necessary; we don’t want him to hurt himself.”

“Let me talk to him, try and calm him down,” Buck pleaded as he tried to get around the nurse.

The nurse pursed her lips and eyed Buck, then nodded her consent.

Slipping around the older woman, Buck calmly approached the bed and managed to snag an arm and then cupped his hand around JD’s neck.

“JD,” Buck ordered. “Look at me.”

Wild, confused hazel eyes snapped towards the voice and JD’s body sagged back down into the bed, no longer fighting the orderlies that held him in place, but still tense in case he needed to escape.

“Buck?”

“Yeah, it’s me pard,” Buck soothed. “Need to calm down there before you hurt yourself there.”

“Casey? Where’s Casey?” JD asked as he looked around the room frantically. “There was something and then she was in front of me and then she wasn’t and WHERE IS SHE BUCK?” came the last part screamed out.

“Shh, shhhh,” Buck whispered as he massaged the tense muscles in JD’s neck. “Calm down first and then I’ll tell ya.”

JD tried to listen to the voice that hadn’t let him down before, but everything felt too bright and too loud and the smells, it made him want to gag.

“Nonononono,” JD moaned, tossing his head from side to side and began fighting the hands holding him once again.

“JD!” Buck barked out, trying to get JD to listen to him. But he didn’t and continued thrashing against the orderlies and Buck, calling out desperately for Casey.

The fight suddenly left JD as he sagged and his eyes fluttered close. The doctor pulled the needle from the IV line and sighed in relief.

Buck was a jumble of emotions as he watched the orderlies rearrange JD’s body and then placed the restraints on the wrists and ankles.

“Are those really necessary, doc?”

“I’m afraid so, Mr. Wilmington,” the doctor replied. “We want to make sure when he wakes up again, he doesn’t try to hurt himself or anyone else. When it looks like he’s fully here with us, we’ll remove them.” He gently patted Buck on the shoulder. “But he’s woken up, this is a good thing.”

“But he was hollering and screaming his lungs out,” Buck protested.

“It looks like it was just a case of confusion, when he wakes up from the sedative we’ll do more thorough tests. But please remember Mr. Wilmington, he did just survive a very traumatic event. JD is very lucky he’s alive.”

“I know,” Came the mumbled reply.

“The sedative was light, he should wake up again in a couple of hours,” was the reassurance the doctor tried to offer.

Nodding that he understood, he watched as the nurses, orderlies and doctor leave the room and Buck took up his customary seat by JD’s bed.

“Oh kiddo,” Buck sighed as he ran a hand down his face. “You’re going to make me go prematurely grey here.”

Pulling out his cell phone, Buck began to make the phone call to the boys to let them know that JD had woken up.


	4. Chapter 3

_What do I do when my love is away.  
(Does it worry you to be alone)  
How do I feel by the end of the day  
(Are you sad because you're on your own)  
No, I get by with a little help from my friends  
(With A Little Help From My Friends, The Beatles)_

It had been two weeks since JD had been brought into the hospital and only three of those days he had been awake. The restraints had been removed when it was shown he was in no danger of harming himself or others.

JD complained about the noises and the smells mostly, but no one could hear or smell anything, so the doctors were chalking it up to post-traumatic stress from seeing his fiancé killed in front of him, there was also talk about CAT scans, but JD was ignoring those.

The news of Casey’s death was given to JD on his second day awake and it had sent him into a depression, especially when he was told he had missed the funeral due to his self-induced coma.

What really didn’t help JD was that he kept seeing Casey’s mutilated body everywhere he looked, but he kept that little piece of information to himself. No use in letting everyone think he was going crazy along with the depression.

Curled up on the hospital bed around his pillow, JD stared at the wall. His arm and leg had only suffered sprains and surprisingly the shoulder only had minimal damage, but heavy scarring that he’d carry for the rest of his life.

 _A nice reminder of his failure to protect Casey._ JD thought as he absently rubbed the bandages covering the wound.

They’d be taken off later on in the day to see how the wounds were healing and hopefully he’d get to go home sometime tomorrow.

“JD.”

Stiffening at the familiar voice behind him, JD prayed he was suffering from some sort of breakdown, because he wouldn’t be able to handle seeing his dead, mutilated fiancé behind him.

“You don’t have to look at me, JD, I know I’m not exactly looking my best right now,” Casey softly said. “But you need to listen.”

“You’re not real,” JD insisted stubbornly.

“Oh, JD, I’m very real, just stuck at the moment.”

“Go away.”

“Not until you listen to what I have to say, JD,” Casey insisted back, equally stubborn.

“No.”

“JD!”

“Fine!”

“That creature that killed me and hurt you, it was a werewolf, JD and you’ve been infected.”

A half hysterical sob forced itself out of JD’s mouth. “Bullshit.”

“The supernatural is very real and we’ve become a part of it.”

“I don’t believe you,” JD whispered out. “Please, if you are real, leave me alone right now.”

“All right, JD, I’ll leave, but please remember this,” Casey said. “I loved you in life and I love you in death, but don’t keep mourning me like Chris mourns his wife and son. Get out of bed and start living again, because frankly, you stink.”

JD let a small chuckle escape from his lips as Casey’s words sunk in.

 _Trust Casey to offer comfort and give a metaphorical kick in the ass as well._ JD thought as he slowly sat up and swung his legs over the side.

“Casey?” JD whispered, but no one replied. Proof that she had left him alone.

It was going to hurt and probably be very painful without Casey by his side, but JD was determined not to let his depression affect him any longer than he wanted to. Even if his subconscious masquerading as Casey was saying he was a werewolf to get him out of bed.

Because everyone knew, werewolves weren’t real.

~~~

Buck sighed what felt like for the fiftieth time in the past hour and looked at his small pile of paperwork. He had come in early to get some of the work that had piled up over the past couple of weeks completed.

The others had helped out in what they could, but a new case had been dropped in Team Seven’s lap. Something about gun runners that only appeared before the full moon and then all but disappeared for about a month before reappearing again. Buck hadn’t really paid attention to the office chatter on it. It didn’t concern him right now.

Draining the last of the coffee from his cup, Buck grimaced as he got up and headed back for the pot that Vin had made. He usually stayed away from that shit, but he needed it strong right now.

The others puttered around the office, filing out various paperwork and Buck let the office chatter flow over him when Chris yelled for him.

“BUCK! MY OFFICE! NOW!”

Grumbling under his breath as he fixed a cup of coffee, Buck headed to Chris’s office and closed the door behind him. Settling into the chair, Buck sighed and looked up at Chris’s face.

“Yeah, Chris?”

“What are you doing here, Buck?” Chris asked his oldest friend. “Shouldn’t you be at the hospital right now?”

“Kid tossed me out and told me to get some sleep, shower and shave.”

“Well, it looks like you showered and shaved, but did you sleep?”

Buck shrugged.

“Buck,” Chris warned.

“I caught a couple of hours, mother,” Buck muttered.

Sighing, Chris settled back against his desk. “What’s eating you, Buck?”

“Did you know the kid proposed to Casey?” Buck asked Chris. “And she said ‘yes’ before she died?”

That startled Chris as his eyes widened in surprise.

Chuckling, Buck took a sip of the coffee. “I guess not.”

“Shit,” Chris sighed.

“I just don’t know if I have it in me anymore.”

“Have what, Buck?” But Chris already suspected he knew what Buck was talking about.

“When I was at the hospital, after JD woke up, he reminded me of you when you lost Sarah and Adam,” Buck explained. “Except he doesn’t have a whiskey bottle nearby to lose himself in, he’s escaping by sleeping and drugs.” Draining the last of the coffee with a grimace, Buck tossed the Styrofoam cup into the nearby trash can. “Trying to keep you from the brink took a lot out of me, Chris and I don’t know if I have it in me to help JD out.”

Laying his hands on Buck’s shoulders, Chris let the man look up and at him. “Buck...what you did for me, words can never be enough. But now, with JD, you have the rest of us to help you out and make sure JD doesn’t fall into the depression I did.”

“Thanks pard,” Buck said, nodding his head.

“Any time.”

“Now, head for the sick room and get some sleep, Buck. We’ll all go and pick the kid up.”

“The boys would never believe it, but you mother hen worse than me.”

Chris chuckled and lightly punched Buck in the shoulder with a teasing grin. “Good thing they’ll never believe you then.”

Buck mocked glared at his friend. “Ass.”

“Now, go sleep.”

“Yes mother.”

~~~

Later on that day it was a group of six that went to go and pick up JD from the hospital. Buck started filling out the necessary paperwork to release the younger man at the Nurse’s station.

Chris had grabbed a nearby wheelchair as they entered JD’s room.

“JD, your chariot awaits with our illustrious leader as the driver,” Ezra said with a grin.

The JD that awaited them seemed in better spirits then when they had left him last. He looked like he had showered, but his face was still peppered with a light beard and he was wearing fresh clothes that Buck had left.

“You seem in better spirits, JD,” Josiah pointed out.

JD gave a small smile. “Yeah. I am, ‘siah.”

“What brought about this change?” Chris asked.

“Figured Casey wouldn’t want me moping like this and decided I’m not gonna wallow,” JD explained, deliberately not mentioning ‘Casey’ stopping by and giving him a kick in the ass.

Vin tilted his head as he looked at JD. “Metaphorical kick in the ass?”

“Something like that, Vin,” JD lightly chuckled.

“Let me just check your bandage and sling there and we’ll head out as soon as Buck’s done with the paperwork,” Nathan said as he started over to JD’s injured shoulder.

“Lay off, Nathan, I’m fine! And besides, the doctor already took a look.” But the words fell on deaf ears.

“Kid, your definition of fine is the same as ours,” Vin laughed.

Nathan managed to wrestle JD out of the sling and shirt. Gently pulling the tape away from the skin and lifting the bandage up, he could see the marks left by the creature. They were now red and ugly bruising turning green and yellow marred JD’s shoulder and his upper back.

“This is healing faster than I thought it would be,” Nathan commented, puzzled.

“That’s what the doctor said when he changed my bandages earlier, it’s probably why he’s letting me leave so early,” JD sighed as Nathan replaced the bandage back on.

He was helped back into his shirt and the sling and JD looked at his friends. “Are we ready to go?”

“Still waiting on Buck, kid,” Chris said. “He’s filling out your release papers and then we can leave.”

JD merely nodded, giving a tentative smile and stared off into space.

Letting a sigh escape from his lips, Chris glanced at the others and saw nothing but determination to help out their youngest member.

They were roused out of their thinking as Buck’s voice carried from the hallway.

“C’mon darlin’, I have power of attorney, I can sign those,” Buck pleaded.

“That maybe so, Mr. Wilmington, but I still have to go over a few things with Mr. Dunne,” A woman’s voice replied back.

Team Seven watched as a nurse entered the room, an annoyed look on her face, curly hair pulled back into a pony tail as Buck followed her in.

Ignoring the others, the nurse went over to JD and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. “Mr. Dunne?”

Unconsciously, JD’s nostrils’ flared as he took in the new scent and he turned his head to face the nurse.

“Hi there, I just need to go over a few things with you, to look out for when you leave the hospital.”

“Okay,” JD said quietly. _She smelled nice and familiar somehow. No, he just lost Casey; he couldn’t be thinking those kinds of things!_

JD let the words coming from the nurse wash over him. It was a procedure he was familiar with. ‘Take it easy’ ‘Remember to take your medicine’ ‘Make sure to change the bandages’ and his favourite ‘To make an appointment for physiotherapy’. He knew Nathan would pester him to get this all done, same with Buck. All JD wanted to do now was get out of here and away from this woman’s scent. He didn’t know why his sense of smell had increased, but right now, it didn’t do him a world of good as all he wanted to do was bury his face in the nurse’s neck and inhale her scent deeply.

Those thoughts made it feel like a betrayal to Casey.

Within no time at all, JD was loaded into the wheelchair and wheeled out of the hospital. Away from the women’s scent and back to the CDC with Buck.


	5. Chapter 4

_Even a man who is pure in heart  
And says his prayers by night  
May become a wolf when the wolf bane blooms  
And the autumn moon is bright.  
(Poem from The Wolfman, 1941)_

 

JD didn’t know what woke him up in the middle of the night; he just knew it was something. Something out there, outside of the condo where he and Buck lived.

Prowling.

That was the only word JD could think of to describe whatever it was that ‘pinged’ his radar.

Getting out of bed, he padded softly out of his room and headed over to the living room. Pushing back the curtain, he watched as a figure walked back and forth in front of the building. He couldn’t make out who it was, but whoever it was, was encroaching on his territory.

 _Territory?_

With that word, it was like something surged forward into the front of his mind and his eyes started to glow amber as his lip lifted upwards and he softly growled.

 _This was his home, his! What was this intruder doing here?_

Fully preparing himself to run out the front door, tackle this person and sink his teeth in and rip their throat out; JD was unprepared for the hand that grabbed his uninjured shoulder and spun him around.

“What are you doing out here, kid?” Buck asked as he sleepily rubbed his eyes. Therefore, he didn’t see the amber bleed out of JD’s eyes and return to their hazel colour.

“Buck?” JD asked confused. “What are _you_ doing out here?”

“I asked first, JD.”

Brow furrowed in confusion, a look of alarm graced his face before JD was able to wipe it off. “I’m not sure. I thought I heard something, got out of bed and then nothing until you touched me.”

Understanding filled Buck’s eyes. “Don’t worry about it, kiddo.”

“But Buck! I bla –.”

“Shh, none of that,” Buck said, placing a hand on JD’s shoulder. “It’s probably your subconscious searching for something.”

JD’s mood then turned sombre. “Casey.”

“Maybe, maybe not,” Buck shrugged. “It might just be a onetime thing tonight.”

“Or it could happen again!” JD insisted.

“JD. Let’s take it one day at a time and we’ll figure it out, alright?”

“Okay, Buck.”

Moving his hand so his entire arm was around JD’s shoulders, he steered his young friend back to bed.

He never even noticed the intruder leaving the area.

“Now, I’m drawing the line at tucking you into bed and kissing you goodnight,” Buck joked.

A slight curve of JD’s lips warned Buck that the kid was going to give him some sort of smart alec remark.

“Ah-ah!” Buck wiggled a finger in JD’s finger. “You know I love you in a totally platonic brother kind of way kid, but if you finish that sentence, injured or not, your ass will be in a sling.”

JD pouted and wiggled more under the covers.

“That’s better. Night kid.”

“Night, Buck,” JD whispered as he burrowed into the warmth.

Shutting the light off, Buck was about to close the door when JD’s voice stopped him. “And Buck – thanks.”

Buck smiled back. “Anytime, kid.”

~~~

Vin sighed as he took a long pull from the bottle of beer in his hand.

This whole situation with JD and Casey, he didn’t know what to feel. Disbelief, sadness, grief and most of all, anger.

Anger that Casey was taken from JD so soon and that JD had to go through the process of losing a loved one – again.

It was nearly midnight when a knock on his door startled him out of his thoughts.

Frowning, he wondered who it could be. The boys knew they were welcomed in, anytime and they usually called ahead. So this was someone unexpected.

Setting his drink aside as he got up and off of his couch, he slowly padded his way to the apartment door in bare feet.

Grabbing the sawed off shotgun from the umbrella stand to the right of the door, he peered through peep hole.

It was a piece of his past, coming back apparently.

Unlocking the chain and the deadbolt, but still keeping a hand on the shotgun, he slowly opened the door a couple of inches.

“Hello, Kate,” Vin drawled.

Kate Stokes stood in front of the doorway, dressed in ragged jeans, boots, a tank top and a flannel jacket that had seen better days. A cowboy hat completed her look as Vin finished his exam, ignoring the gun tucked in the sidearm.

“Is this pleasure or business?” Vin asked, straight to the point. “And where’s Maddie?”

“It’s business, Vin,” Kate replied back. “And the business is about Maddie.”

Vin swore softly.

He met the two sisters a couple of years before he joined the ATF and just after he got out of the Army and took up bounty hunting.

At the time, they had joined up on a few hunts and he felt an attraction to Kate, but she was devoted to her sister, so he left.

It didn’t help that Maddie was a few French fries short of a happy meal, but if you ever mentioned that in front of Kate, you better be prepared to get a few broken fingers and a black eye. And that was Kate being nice.

“Can I come in or do you want to continue making sure I’m not dangerous,” Kate stated.

“You always were dangerous, Kate,” Vin replied back.

Ice blue eyes glared at Vin. “Still am.”

Vin snorted. “No argument here. C’mon in.”

“Thank you.”

Kate followed Vin into the apartment and he closed the door behind her. Heading back over to the couch, he grabbed his beer as he sat down and laid the shotgun over his leg.

“Bet that took some effort.”

“Fuck you, Tanner,” Kate swore at Vin. “You mad at me or somethin’?”

“Why you come here now, Kate?” Vin asked, almost hissing the answer out. “Why now? After all this time?”

“I told you, business and Maddie,” Kate growled out.

Vin thought he saw a flash of amber in her eyes, but he shook his head. It was probably a trick of the light.

“What she done now?”

“That’s not important, I just need your help in getting her back,” Kate huffed out angrily. “I’d do it myself, but there’s too many.”

“I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s goin’ on, Kate,” Vin said.

Kate’s body trembled with tension, hands clenching and unclenching. And then everything seemed to pour of her and she slumped. “You ever heard of a man called Del Spivak?”

“That name sounds familiar.”

And did it ever, it was one of the names Team Seven had manage to get, thanks to Ezra’s connections, in their current case about gun runners that hit places just before the full moon. If things held true, there would be a scheduled hit about two or three days next week.

“Well, he’s got Maddie.”

“Shit,” Vin eloquently summed up. “How’d that happen?”

“We got stupid and our information was wrong,” Kate explained. “In all of the confusion, he managed to grab Maddie and he’s holding her against me.”

“Why? What do you have on him?” Vin asked.

“Information that could take him down if given to the right people,” Kate replied back.

Vin chuckled. “I see, I’m just being used for my connections to the ATF.”

“You help me set-up a meeting with your boss and I want promises that Maddie goes with me, no matter what,” Kate laid out.

“I can setup the meetin’, Kate, but I ain’t makin’ no promises,” Vin acknowledged. “I don’t have that kind of pull.”

“But your boss does,” Kate insisted.

“He’s just a simple man, Kate; he does what he needs to do, to get the job done.”

Kate chuckled. “And I don’t believe you. I have my information about what you need for that gun running group and your boss can promise me my sister, otherwise, no deal.”

“And I could hold you for obstruction of justice.”

“Maybe, but they’re going to hit again soon and after the full moon, they disappear into another city, this is your best shot at getting them now,” Kate explained. “Take it or leave it.”

Vin sighed. “I’m gonna have to call him and see what can be arranged.”

“You do that,” Kate said, a frosty tone colouring her voice. Reaching into her jacket pocket, she pulled out a card. “My information so you can reach me when we come to an – understanding.”

Taking the card, Vin tucked it into his jeans pocket and saluted Kate with his beer bottle. “I think you know your way out.”

Nodding at the request, Kate walked over to the apartment door and opened it. Pausing slightly, she turned so she was facing Vin. “Beyond the circumstances, it was good to see you again, Vin.”

Vin scoffed. “You hurt me deeply, Kate, so I wish I could say the same.”

Blue eyes soften slightly, before they turned hard and Kate walked out of the apartment, closing the door behind her.

Sighing, Vin drained the rest of his beer as he pulled out the card with Kate’s information. Turning it over in his hands as he set aside the bottle, he grabbed his cordless phone and dialled a number.

After a few rings, a gruff voice answered. “Larabee, here.”

“Hey cowboy, I think I might have a break in that gun runnin’ case of ours,” Vin stated and settled in to explain the situation to Chris.


	6. Chapter 5

_We have doomed the Wolf not for what it is, but for what we have deliberately and mistakenly perceived it to be..the mythologized epitome of a savage, ruthless killer..which is, in reality no more than a reflexed images of ourself. -Farley Mowat_

JD sighed for what felt like the millionth time as he viciously scrubbed a dirty plane clean. His arm was now free of the sling, but he was told not to put too much stress on it.

Setting the plate aside to dry, he stared out of the window that over looked the little patch of grass in between buildings.

His thoughts then turned to Casey and _that night._ The night his life completely changed. JD thought Casey would finish veterinary school and during that time they’d move in together. They’d buy a house, have kids and grow old together.

They’d die together on the same day.

Shaking his head to clear himself from those kinds of thoughts, the kind of dreams he’d never have with Casey ever again, he turned back to the dishes.

“I’m sorry we can’t share those things anymore, JD.”

JD didn’t turn around. “Go away.”

“I can’t, JD,” Casey whispered back. “Not until you kill the werewolf that killed me.”

“You are not real and there is no such thing as werewolves.”

“Yes, there is,” Casey insisted. “How else can you explain me? Only werewolves can see their kills and the kills that other werewolves did.”

“A result of post traumatic stress and watching you being killed in front of me,” JD replied back as he dried his hands

Then JD felt something cold past through his shoulder. “You, you, you stubborn headed idiot! For someone so incredibly smart, you sometimes can be a dumb ass!”

“Casey?” JD whispered as he turned around, only to smack his face into Buck’s chest.

“All right there, kiddo?” Buck asked, concerned for his friend.

JD rubbed his nose. “Yeah, sorry...thought I heard something.”

Buck frowned slightly. “Like what?”

“Don’t worry about it, Buck.”

Opening his mouth to reply, Buck then closed his mouth, thinking better of it. JD was pretty much up and down with his moods lately and he had very good reason to be, so Buck dropped the subject for now.

“How about we dry these dishes and put them away?”

You could see the relief on JD’s face as the subject was dropped and the two quickly got to work.

The cutlery was just being put away when Buck’s cell phone rang. Grumbling under his breath, Buck saw it was Chris and shot a worried glance to JD before opening his phone to talk.

“Wilmington, here.”

 _“Buck, I know you’re taking care of JD there, but we got a break in the case and you need to come in.”_

“C’mon Chris,” Buck argued. “You’ve all been doing fine without me there the past couple of weeks.”

 _“We need everyone in on this, I’d ask JD to come in to, but he’s not cleared for duty yet. I really am sorry, Buck.”_

Click. And then silence on the other end.

Glaring at the phone as he snapped it shut and swore under his breath.

“Need to go in, huh, Buck?” JD asked as he approached Buck.

“I’m sorry kiddo,” Buck apologized. “Apparently there’s a break in the current case and Chris is calling me in.”

“But not me,” JD mentioned gloomily.

 _Shit!_ Buck thought. “He would’ve called you in too, but you’re not cleared for duty yet, JD. You witnessed something horrible and you’re still injured.” He pointed at JD’s shoulder.

“You mean you think I can’t handle it and you want to keep the _kid_ out of the way,” JD angrily stated.

“That’s not what I said, JD!” Buck retorted back. “And it wasn’t what I meant.”

“Whatever, Buck,” JD sighed and turned back to the dishes. Angrily tossing them into the drawers and cabinets.

Running a hand over his face, Buck grumbled under his breath, grabbed his wallet, keys and stuffed his cell into his cell holder on his belt buckle. He walked out of the condo.

JD swore as a piece of silverware flipped out of the cutlery drawer from his angry tossing. Bending over to grab it, JD hissed in pain as it burnt the palm of his hand. Running over to the sink and turning on the water, he placed his reddening hand under the cool liquid.

“What the hell?” JD whispered aloud. Glancing back down at the offending piece of cutlery, he grabbed a nearby towel and picked the item up.

Turning it over, he slowly pressed a finger against the flat edge of utensil.

“AH!” JD yelled out in pain as the silver burned his finger.

Bringing his finger up to his mouth to nurse, he dropped the silverware back into the cutlery drawer and returned the towel back in its original spot.

“What is going on?” JD wondered. And then he remembered the conversations with ‘Casey’ and how he was ‘turning’ into a werewolf.

A feeling of dread filled JD’s being.

 _Was it true? Was he really turning into a werewolf? It would explain his new found allergy to silver._ JD pondered.

Taking in deep gulping breaths of air, he grabbed his wallet, keys and cell phone. Locking the door behind him, JD left the condo.

It was literally a pain in his shoulder to drive his bike, but JD just breathed through the pain and soon, he found himself in front of the cemetery where Casey was buried.

He had gotten the details from Buck during one of his visits. They had held the funeral while he was in his coma and this was the first bit of spare time that JD had, without one of the others hovering over him to come visit.

Parking his bike in the parking lot, his boots make crunching noises on the gravel path as he headed towards the back near a big oak tree.

As he approached the grave site, he could make out the gravestone and the writing chiselled on it.

 _‘Casey Anne Wells  
B. June 03, 1987 – D. September 23, 2010  
Was loved and loved’_

Sitting crossed legged in front of the grave, JD ignored the dampness soaking his jeans.

“Hey Casey,” JD began. “Sorry I haven’t been by yet to see you. Coma and all.” There was a long pull of silence as the leaves from the tree danced in the wind. “I keep seeing you all over the place and sometimes you talk to me. You tell me crazy things, things like I’m now a werewolf and – I’m not sure what to believe,” JD sighed. “I feel like I’m going crazy, seeing you, burning my hand on a piece of silver wear and my sense of smell and hearing...it’s really batshit crazy, Case and I don’t know what to do.”

A whimper escaped from JD’s lips. “I really miss you and love you, Casey.” Tears trailed down his cheeks and he furiously wiped them away with the sleeve of his jacket. “Now would be a good time to show up if you’re really there.”

When no one showed, JD sniffed loudly, the slight crying making his nose all runny. Standing up, he turned around and stopped.

“Hi.”

“Hello.”

It was the nurse from the hospital, except she wasn’t dressed in uniform. Her curly hair was still up, but her scrubs had been exchanged for jeans, flannel and a pair of sturdy boots.

“Visiting someone?” The woman inquired.

“My fiancée, she died in the attack which put me in my coma,” JD explained. He didn’t know why, but he felt drawn to this woman. Something about her pulled at JD.

“That’s her, JD!” Casey yelled in his ear. “That’s the werewolf that killed me and infected you! KILL HER!! Set us free!”

JD flinched at the loud sound.

The woman looked at JD in concern. “Everything all right?” She then placed her hand on his forehead to feel for a fever.

To JD, the touch felt like heaven and he leaned into it as his eyes fluttered close.

“What are you doing, JD?” Casey hissed at him. “Get rid of her!”

“Shut up, Casey,” JD mumbled and then frowned when the hand left his forehead and his eyes opened.

“Well, you don’t feel like you have a fever,” the woman said.

“Well, that’s good I suppose,” JD mumbled. “Not to sound rude, but what are you doing out here, ma’am?”

“Oh, don’t ma’am me,” the woman laughed. “I’m not that old.”

JD felt some heat creep up on his cheeks. “Sorry.”

“Call me, Maddie,” Maddie said, holding out her hand. “Maddie Stokes.”

Shaking the hand, JD replied back. “JD Dunne.”

“Well, JD as to what I’m doing out here, I’m visiting an old friend,” Maddie answered as she gestured to a nearby headstone.

He couldn’t make out the name on the headstone, but he offered his condolences the same. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Yours as well,” Maddie replied back, gesturing to Casey’s grave behind him.

“What are you doing, chatting her up; you should be killing her, JD!” Casey protested and tried to hit JD in the shoulder. But all that happened was her hand going through his shoulder and causing him to shiver as he did his best to ignore this figment of his imagination.

“Are you sure you’re feeling alright there?” Maddie asked in concern.

At this question, JD faltered. “I’m, I’m not sure anymore. I just feel completely lost and I don’t know what to do anymore.” He shivered slightly as Casey continued trying to hit him in the shoulder. “And I don’t know why I’m telling you all of this, you’re a completely stranger to me and here I am, opening up.”

“Maybe it’s because I’m a stranger you can open up,” Maddie offered.

“Maybe.”

“It’s all right to talk about it, JD, whatever happened to you, you’ll get past it,” Maddie said.

“Didn’t my chart say what kind of ‘traumatic experience’ I went through?” JD bitterly stated.

“No, just what kind of injuries you came in with,” Maddie offered. “But there were rumours you were attacked by some kind of wolf creature.”

“Yeah and it was her,” Casey spat out. “Do something, JD! Just don’t stand there like a useless lump on a log!”

“WILL YOU JUST FUCKING SHUT UP, CASEY!” JD yelled at her, eyes flashing amber.

Maddie’s face looked triumphant at that proclamation.

JD’s eyes kept their amber glow as he moaned and then placed his hands into his head. “What’s happening to me?”

“Something wonderful, JD,” Maddie stated. Removing a bandana from her pocket, she placed it over her mouth and pulled out a long plant chain from her jean pocket. She quickly tossed it over JD’s head.

Startled at the action, JD couldn’t help but inhale the smell coming off of the plant. Stumbling slightly, he dropped to the ground listless, eyes unseeing, but still glowing slightly with their unusual amber colour.

Two people suddenly appeared next to Maddie’s side.

The weasel looking one spoke. “This the one, Maddie?”

“Yes,” Maddie growled at the man, securing her bandana over her mouth. “Remember not to inhale the wolf bane fumes; it’ll knock you out like poor widdle JD there.”

“We know, Mad Miss Maddie,” The taller one spoke.

“Shut it, Garber,” Kate snarled at the man, her own eyes flashing amber. “And help Kirkland there.”

Grumbling under their breath, the two secured their bandana’s around their faces, picked JD up and carried him to a pick-up truck where they dumped him into the back. Maddie climbed in after him and brought his head so it was resting on her lap.

“Soon, you’ll be completely mine, JD,” Maddie whispered and started to pet JD’s hair.

Kirkland started the truck and the trio with their package quickly sped away from the cemetery.


	7. Chapter 6

_They say the wolf bestows its happy spirit to help people. Women who obtain this spirit become skilled in creative endeavors and experience a strengthening of the senses. I would like to think there is some truth to this in my own life. -Judi Rideout_

Buck was not in a good mood when he walked into Team Seven’s office space. Dumping his jacket onto his chair, he grabbed his mug and headed over to the coffee machine.

Pouring himself a cup, black, he drank it down quickly.

“Something vexing you, Mr. Wilmington?” Ezra asked from behind Buck’s shoulder.

“Got into a fight JD and now he’s pissed at me,” Buck muttered as he poured himself another cup of coffee. “He’s also kind of pissed at not being able to come in either.”

“I fear, our young friend most likely feels a need to be useful after what happened,” Ezra stated. “I know I would if I was in his position.”

Buck sighed. “Yeah, me too.”

“Come Buck, Mr. Tanner has apparently found us a lead in the form of a young lady friend of his.”

That stopped Buck short. “Vin has a lady friend? Here?”

Ezra chuckled. “An ‘old flame’ if I’m lead to believe the glances between the two.”

“Well then, this meeting just got a mite more interesting,” Buck grinned.

~~~

The first look of Kate Stokes as she introduced herself, reminded Buck of a Valkyrie he’d seen in pictures.

A warrior woman with ice in her eyes.

She also looked like she’d rip your throat out if you looked at her the wrong way. Pushing the foreboding feeling away, Buck sat in a chair in the conference room and got ready to listen about this ‘break’ they got in the case.

Once all of Team Seven, minus JD, were ready, Chris gestured at Vin to begin.

“Folks, this is Kate Stokes, we used to run together with her sister Maddie when I did bounty hunting, before joinin’ up with everyone here,” Vin explained. “Kate here has some information regardin’ our current case.” Vin gestured at Kate. “Kate?”

“Del Spivak is the man you’re lookin’ for,” Kate bluntly stated. “He’s the one runnin’ the group of your gun runners. He’s dangerous and usually runs a crew of up to 10 people, male and female, to do his jobs.”

She tossed a thick folder in Chris’s direction, held together with a couple of thick elastics.

“This is all I have on him and his operations and his crew.”

“How did you get all of that information?” Nathan asked. “And why come to us?”

“Lots of research, hunting and hard work,” Kate replied. “I’m damn good at following a trail.”

“Yet, you come to us to help catch your prey,” Ezra pointed out. “As my esteemed colleague pointed out, why come to us?”

“Tell them, Kate,” Vin said.

Kate glared at him and then exhaled out of her nose. “Because Del there has my sister.” Her fist clenched. “And I can’t do this by myself. I did some research before asking Vin for help on this and your team has a good success rate in catching criminals.”

“That may be, ma’am,” Chris said as he leafed through the folder. “But we’ll need to check your _research_ and make sure it’s all valid.”

“It’s valid,” Kate said through gritted teeth. “I was very through.”

Chris just glared at her. “And this may be the information we’re looking for, but I will not risk my team on a suicide run just to rescue your sister.”

Kate’s blue eyes went wide.

“You’re using us and Vin for that purpose, I know that much and I know there’s something more,” Chris said. “We’ll be conducting our own surveillance to make sure everything matches up.”

“He’ll know you’re there and then he’ll kill you!” Kate spat at Chris.

“He can try,” Chris replied back. “We thank you for the information you’ve provided, Mrs. Stokes and we’ll keep on this case in a consultant position, but if you try and interfere...” Chris glared at her and there was a hint of teeth showing. “And I’ll have you up on charges of obstruction so fast and in a jail cell you’ll never see your sister again.”

Taking a step back, Kate gulped slightly. _She had never felt a more alpha presence in someone other than her Grandfather._

“Understand?”

“Yes.”

“Good,” Chris grunted out. He then slid the folder over to Buck. “See what you can make of that and then start some surveillance. We’ll see if we can integrate someone into the group.”

Kate opened her mouth to protest but was silenced by Vin lightly pinching her arm and a quiet ‘shush’.

“Chris, I was wondering if I can bring, JD into this,” Buck asked. “Kid’s going stir crazy and needs something to do.”

Here, Chris’s eyes softened. “I’m sorry, Buck, but no. Until he gets cleared back for duty, I can’t let him work any cases. As much as I want to, the department is keeping a close eye on this, especially after the last incident.”

“I always did wonder what happened to those chickens,” Josiah pondered aloud.

The rest of the group chuckled at that, but it left Kate wondering who JD was. Her research into the group said there were seven members and only six was present.

 _Maybe something happened to their other member?_ Kate thought privately and then voiced it aloud. “Who’s JD?”

“Our wayward member of the team,” Josiah answered.

“So, why isn’t he here, helping out?” Kate asked.

“He was injured in that creature attack a couple of weeks ago and he lost someone close to him,” Nathan said bluntly.

Kate knew about that creature attack, she also had some insight that the others didn’t – it was a werewolf. In fact, she was pretty sure it was one of Del Spivak’s people; they were a pack that gave werewolves like her, a bad name. She just wasn’t sure which one it was that had attacked the couple she read about in the paper. There hadn’t been a chance to check out the attack site yet.

“Sorry for his loss then,” Kate muttered and then turned thoughtful. “Was he bit by the creature?”

“Why do you want to know that?” Nathan asked her. Mistrust across his face.

“Just curious, got attacked by some large creature once, never did figure out what it was,” Kate lied. “Had to go through a whole spectrum of antibiotics the doctor prescribed me.”

Nathan frowned but nodded. “He did get bit, but he’s doing a lot better now, physically.”

 _Crap, he’s infected._ Kate thought furiously. _This just got more complicated._

The other’s quickly descended into chatter as Vin watched Kate.

 _There’s somethin’ she’s not tellin’ us and hearin’ ‘bout JD getting attacked has her spooked._ Vin contemplated. _I’ll bring this up with Chris._

“All right people, this is going to be a large operation with numerous tasks,” Chris began. “Buck and Josiah, I want you two working surveillance as soon as the information that was given to us by Kate here, is confirmed. So that means a late night, men. Josiah, I want profiles as detailed as possible about Spivak’s crew. Nathan, I want you working with Buck and Josiah in a rotating order of who’s in the van. Draw up a schedule for everyone in pairs of two,” Then Chris looked at Vin, Kate and Ezra. “Ezra, you know the drill. Vin, you and Kate will do a little bit of scouting to make sure they’re still in the same place and I want updated maps of the land. Once that’s done, Kate, you’ll liaison between Vin and Josiah there.”

Satisfied with the roles everyone was assigned, Chris caught Vin’s nod and nodded back to the sniper. The two quickly holed up in Chris’s office as the others went to work.

“She’s hidin’ somthin’ cowboy,” Vin stated. “I just don’t know what.”

Chris nodded. “Keep a close eye on her, Vin. Once you find out what she’s hiding...”

“I’ll let you know, ASAP, Chris,” Vin promised.

~~~

Maddie eyed the newest acquisition she had acquired.

JD Dunne. ATF Agent. And the newest werewolf to her and Del’s pack.

It would take some time, but he’d come around, especially after his first full moon and he had his taste of human flesh.

Nostril’s flared as she took in the scent that entered the room. “Del.”

“Maddie,” Del replied back as he went over to the bed that JD was chained to. “So this is your newest plaything.”

It was a cabin-like setting with sparse furniture and a small kitchen. JD was chained to the bed, cross-eagled style, with padded cuffs. He had been stripped down to his underwear and the wolf bane plant chain was still around his neck, keeping him docile and quiet. Eyes wide open, glowing amber and unaware.

Huge amounts of wolfs bane were deadly to a werewolf, but in small amounts, it did little else then act as a sedative. Good for controlling new werewolves.

Del’s hand trailed over the scarred flesh of JD’s shoulder and then lifted the small leather pouch that had been placed over JD’s head.

“Salt?”

“He has annoying ghost with him,” Maddie snorted as she toyed with her own leather pouch. “Probably that stupid bitch of a fiancée of his I killed. Figured it couldn’t hurt so he couldn’t listen to her anymore.” Her grin turned feral. “Just me.”

“Who knew that keeping salt in a pouch would keep the ghosts away.” Chuckling, Del touched his own small leather salt pouch around his neck. “What would we do without these wonderful inventions of yours?”

“Probably go insane,” Maddie chuckled and pulled Del close to her.

“Hmm,” Del hummed and soon the two were kissing.

After a few minutes of passionate kissing, Maddie pulled away.

“Such a frigid little ice queen,” Del all but purred at her. “Like your sister.”

“Don’t you bring my sister into this!” Maddie yelled at him.

“Temper, temper, Maddie.”

“Get out of here, Del,” Maddie growled at him. Eyes flashing amber.

Chuckling, Del left the cabin.

Making her way over, Maddie started to methodically pet JD’s hair. “Don’t worry, JD. I’ll take care of you, way better than the others,” a crazy look entered her eyes. “You won’t ever betray me.”

Humming a mindless tune, Maddie Stokes continued to pet her newest plaything.

“You’re all mine, JD, all mine.”


	8. Chapter 7

_Wolves are not our brothers; they are not our subordinates, either. They are another nation, caught up just like us in the complex web of time and life. -Henry Beston_

Floating.

That was the best sensation that JD could describe his current position.

Floating. In the dark. He couldn’t see anything.

 _Buck? Chris? Vin? Nathan? Josiah? Ezra? Anyone? Is there anyone there?_

A low growl answered JD’s cries in this darkness and then, there was a light. Just a small dot of light in the distance.

Trying to get away from the growling, JD tried to go towards the light, but it kept getting further and further away.

 _Come back! Please!_

Something gripped his shoulder and he was spun around. His world exploded into light and he was suddenly face to face with a large type of dog or wolf in a white room. JD wasn’t sure.

But it had dark black fur, glowing amber eyes and teeth as large as his pinkie. He could see the back legs tense and then it sprang forward.

Yelping aloud in alarm, JD was stunned as the impact he expected didn’t occur as the creature went right into his body. Hands quickly roamed over his chest and stomach area as he spun around looking for where the wolf went.

That’s when the pain hit.

Hands clutched both of his sides as he down to his knees, head bowed almost straight to the floor.

“Oh God!” JD moaned.

Then a cracking sound rung in his ears, as he sat up, he brought a hand up to eye level and watched as the fingers elongated and changed shape.

JD screamed in pain as his bones painfully rearranged, his entire body shifted in length and hair grew everywhere. Clothes were ripped off with new sharp nails and the young, boyish face started to slowly elongate and push out from its natural structure. Ears grew pointed and up as the hair grew over his face.

It was a painful transformation and when it was all done, there stood the black creature in place of JD.

It lifted its head up, eyes glowing amber and howled.

“AHHHHHH!” JD cried out as he tried to sit up. The forced of the padded cuffs attached to chains brought him back down to the bed as he tried to see if he was still human.

“Wha -?” JD started to ask aloud as he looked around the room. There was a kitchen off to the side, a couple pieces of furniture and the bed he was currently lying on. Glancing at the padded cuff that encircled his hand, he gave it an experimental tug as he glanced backwards and saw it was bolted into the wall. He tried the same thing with his leg and no success.

He had been stripped down to his underwear and there was a faint smell of something in the air. Whatever it was, it was making him hungry.

Seeing no one around, he tried the direct approach. “Hello? Anyone there?”

Tugging on his restraints once again, JD huffed when realizing he wouldn’t be getting anywhere until someone came into the room.

It was here his brain kicked into higher gear and the questions rolled through his head. Who had him? Why? What could they possibly want with him? Did it have something to do with the case the rest of the team was working on? JD just didn’t know, he could only hope someone would come in soon so he could get some answers.

Soft footfalls outside the cabin caught JD’s attention and he could only wonder who it was and how he was hearing footsteps outside. They sounded like someone was stomping loudly on a hard floor.

The door handle slowly turned and then swung open.

Maddie entered the room, with red liquid inside a large plastic cup clasped in her hand as she kicked the door closed with her foot.

“Maddie? What are you doing here? Never mind that, help me out of these!” JD moved an arm and the chain rattled behind him.

“I’m sorry, JD, but I can’t do that,” Maddie said, smiling.

“Maddie?” JD questioned. This wasn’t the nurse or the woman he had met. He couldn’t describe it, but there was _something_ in her eyes that scared him.

She removed a straw from her back pocket and placed it in the red liquid as she walked up towards him. Sitting next to him, she pushed the drink towards him. “Drink, you’ll feel better.”

It did smell really good to JD, but he needed answers first.

As if reading his mind, Maddie talked first. “I promise to answer all of your questions as long as you drink first.” She took a sip of it and then pushed it towards him. “See, it’s not drugged.”

Hazel eyes narrowed in distrust, but JD inched his head forward, captured the straw between his lips and began to drink greedily.

The flavour surprised JD; it tasted wonderful and magnificent at the same time. It was like the best food he had ever tasted was magnified by ten and had exploded in his mouth.

He finished the liquid off quickly.

Smacking and licking his lips clean of the liquid, JD levelled Maddie with a look, a look perfected of watching Chris Larabee glare over the years.

Placing the cup to the ground, Maddie laid a hand on JD’s face and gently stroked him along the cheek. “I’ve killed men for looking at me like that.”

“You’re the one who kidnapped me and are keeping me here,” JD stated.

“Guilty.”

“Why?”

“Because you are now part of my pack,” Maddie said.

“What?”

“You’re a werewolf now, JD,” Maddie told JD. “The werewolf that attacked you and your fiancée was a part of my pack, but he went rogue. Mad with bloodlust. We’ve put him down since then.”

“You’re lying,” JD whispered.

“Hasn’t your sense of smell and hearing increased? Maybe seeing your dead fiancée?” Maddie questioned JD. “That’s what happens to people killed by our kind. They become ghosts. It’s unfortunate, but they become obsessed with killing werewolves, any kind of werewolves just to have a taste of revenge,” she lied. She then gestured at the leather pouch around JD’s neck. “It’s filled with salt. It has purifying properties and will keep her away for now. Just while you get your head straightened out.”

Tears prickled JD’s eyes and he sucked in choking, gulping breaths of air. “No.” Came the whisper of denial.

“Yes,” Maddie hissed with delight and straddled JD’s lap.

Running her hands over his body as he tried to squirm away from her touch. “Just relax, JD. Relax.”

“NO!” He bucked up, trying to dislodge Maddie from his body. His thoughts going to dark places of what she could do to him.

Growling as her eyes flashing amber, Maddie tilted her head up and howled to the ceiling, incisors growing a bit more pointed as she came nose to nose with JD.

Hazel eyes went wide at the change in Maddie’s face and something surged upwards inside of him, answering this challenge. His own eyes flashed amber and a rumbling sound filtered through his throat and to JD’s horror, he realized he was growling back.

The staring between the two continued on, until a whimper escaped from JD’s lips and found himself tilting his head upwards, exposing his neck.

An approving sound rumbled low in Maddie’s throat and she leaned forward. Fangs lightly scraping over JD’s throat and then she bit down.

A yipping sound of pain came from JD’s lips and his body went still. Licking the wound, Maddie petted JD’s hair as her slight wolfish features returned to human. “Good boy.”

Blinking and coming to, JD looked around. “What did you do?”

A smirk curled on Maddie’s lips. “You submitted to your alpha.”

Confusion played across JD’s face.

Lunging forward and snapping her teeth at JD, he found himself flinching and automatically tilting his head upwards in an offer of his submission.

Chuckling, Maddie removed herself from JD’s lap, picked up the cup and headed towards the door. Just before she left the cabin, Maddie called over her shoulder. “By the way, JD. That red liquid you guzzled pureed deer hearts.”

Exiting the cabin, JD’s breath came out in short breaths, almost panting.

“Guys,” JD whispered as a tear escaped from his eye. “I kind of need you to come save me, now would be good.”

~~~

It was late into the night when Buck got home.

There had been a lot to prepare and setup for the upcoming case. Vin and Kate had gone ahead to do some scouting of the area.

He didn’t know how JD got so much set up for survallience and communications, but watching Josiah organize what would be a long stake out in the van and getting his profiling done, he felt like he hadn’t done much except take notes and make sure the equipment was working.

The door to JD’s room was closed, but Buck was worried about his friend. He hadn’t call all day due to the amount of work he was given. Quietly opening the door, he peeked inside and saw there was no JD inside the room or in the bed.

“JD?” Buck called out.

Frowning, he checked the entire condo. JD’s jacket was gone and so were his keys. He’d gone somewhere.

Heading back outside, he checked the garage that was attached to the building and JD’s bike was gone.

Back inside the condo, Buck pulled out his cell phone and called JD. It went straight to voicemail. Dread formed in the pit of Buck’s stomach as he fired off a text, but it went unreplied for ten minutes.

JD was good about responding right away to Buck’s texts.

It was there, he knew something was wrong.

 _Where are you, JD?_ Buck frantically thought as he dialled a series of numbers to Chris’s cell.

On the second ring, Chris answered. _“Larabee.”_

“Chris, I can’t find, JD. I’ve tried his cell and his bike is missing,” Buck explained frantically.

 _“Buck, you better sit down.”_

Sitting down, Buck listened.

 _“I was just about to call you; Vin just reported in with initial findings about Spivak’s group, they have JD.”_

Eyes went wide and Buck felt himself slip off the chair. “What! Why?”

 _“We don’t know yet. All we know is is that they have him.”_

“I’m coming over,” Buck said. “We need to get him back.”

 _“We will, Buck. Get some rest first, we’ll go over everything in the morning, integrate Ezra into their group sooner.”_

“We need to do something now!” Buck roared into the phone. “Who knows what they’re doing to him!”

 _“Buck! We will get him back!”_

Chris couldn’t see him, but Buck nodded. “All right, Chris.”

 _“Get some sleep and report in the office first thing in the morning, they’re not hurting him. We afford this time right now.”_

Breathing in deeply as he shut his cell phone off, a tear escaped from Buck’s eye.

“We’re coming, JD, we’re coming.”


	9. Chapter 8

_We humans fear the beast within the wolf because we do not understand the beast within ourselves -Gerald Hausman_

JD awoke with a gasp and looked around his surroundings. He had lost count how many times he’d woken up like this. Glancing at the covered window, he could make out some sort of light. So he knew it was day.

Glaring up at Maddie, bandana secured around her face as she tossed the wolfs bane plant chain into the metal garbage.

The wolfs bane plant had been made into a plant chain, most of the potent flowers picked off of it, but enough remained to render the subject helpless and in a trance like state. It was vulnerable to only werewolves in this form, but for any other human, it was harmless.

“Wakey-wakey, JD” Maddie cooed at him. “Eggs and breaky.”

JD turned his head to the side.

“Now, now, that’s no way to greet me.”

He didn’t know how long they’ve been at this, the plant chain made him loose complete track of time. They’ve could’ve been at it for hours or days. He just didn’t know.

“Why won’t you let me go?” JD asked.

Maddie smirked. “I know you, JD. I know your type of character, you are kind and gentle, but fierce in protecting what he thinks is his.” Here, she leaned over and undid one of the manacles and slowly brought his arm down, rubbing his shoulder into circulation. “You won’t want to hurt your friends. After your first transformation is over, you’ll be free to go.”

“How do I become human again?” JD asked Maddie, turning his head to face her.

“So you believe me now, about you being a werewolf?”

“I know that’s what you believe about me, but no, I don’t believe you,” JD said. “Maddie, you need to let me go. Kidnapping a federal officer is a federal offense. If you let me go now, I can put in a good word for you.”

“We keep having the same conversation here and my answer is never going to change,” Maddie said. “No, JD, I can’t let you go.”

Sighing, JD rotated his free arm to get feeling back in it.

“I can see this will take a practical demonstration. Maybe after this you’ll finally change your mind,” Maddie sighed aloud. Stripping out of her clothes, JD blushed slightly and looked away. Then a sound caught his ears and he turned his head to watch with wide eyes and a horrified look filled his face as he watched Maddie transformed.

Her form fluidly changed shape and within seconds there stood a pony sized wolf with fur the colour of dark honey, amber eyes glowing.

“No,” JD whispered in denial.

Maddie stood there, crouched on all fours as she curiously sniffed him from head to toe. After a few minutes of inspection, she swiped her large tongue over his face and fluidly changed back.

Bending over to pick up her clothes, she looked over shoulder with a look. “Believe me now?”

“Yes,” came the whispered reply.

“Oh, JD,” Maddie cooed at him. “It won’t be that bad, yes there will be pain. But your pack will be there to help you.” She undid the other manacle and helped him sit up. Scooting behind him, she slowly massaged his shoulders back into circulation. Satisfied, she undid his leg manacles.

“There we go, isn’t this much better?”

JD didn’t respond.

“Let’s get you out of those clothes and into something more appropriate for the outside.”

He felt like he was in a daze. His entire world as he knew it was shattered even further. Everything he was denying: the senses, the silver allergy and even the wolfs bane plant that rendered him unconscious. It was all true.

He, JD Dunne, was a werewolf.

Limbs were manipulated into clothing and he felt himself pulled into a standing position.

“You with me, JD?” Maddie asked him, a double meaning hidden in the question.

 _He couldn’t go to the others, not now. They were still on tip toes with him because of Casey. And now...now he was a freak of nature. JD thought as he pondered Maddie’s question. I should be able to trust them, but Maddie knows what’s happening to me. She can help me._

“Yeah, I’m with you, Maddie.”

Maddie shot him a feral grin as JD tilted his head back in acceptance and she nipped at his throat. “Time to be reintroduced to the outside world, JD.”

One foot was placed in front of the other as JD was led outside.

His world was filled with fresh smells and brightness. Camper trailers were positioned in a circle around the cabin as he looked around. There were some tents off to the side and the cabin behind him as he was led to the centre of this camp.

“Stay here, JD and don’t move,” Maddie whispered at him. She brought her fingers up to her mouth and a loud piercing whistle sounded in the air.

A group of people, no larger than ten people started to slowly exit the camper trailers and circled around him.

“This here is JD and he’s part of our pack now,” Maddie growled out at him. “Welcome him!”

He was slowly surrounded by the group of people as they sniffed him all over, pulling at his clothes.

 _They had no concept of personal space!_ JD thought wildly as a woman stuck her nose into his throat and inhaled deeply.

And then they left, satisfied with what they smelled.

JD was led off to the side, Maddie holding his hand as he was pulled along.

“We have lots to teach you before your first full moon,” Maddie explained. “I –“

“Earlier, you said my transformation would be filled with pain, but you changed so easily, why?” JD asked, interrupting Maddie.

Maddie growled low in her throat. _She didn’t like being interrupted._

JD ducked his head at the growl. “Sorry.”

“Don’t ever interrupt me again,” Maddie ordered a wild look in her eyes. “And to answer your question it’s because I’m a born wolf and you are a bitten wolf. Born wolves transform without pain and can transform without the aid of the moon.” She held out her hand and JD watched as the fingers extended and went half human and half wolf. “See, I have total control.” Her hand changed back to normal. “Where as you, you are a bitten wolf and can only change with the moon. Oh your sense of smell and hearing is heightened. And when angry, your eyes will glow an amber colour, but that’s the extent of any physical transformation outside of the moon’s influence.” Here she brushed a hand down his face. “But during the moon, you’ll experience pain as you transform and you’ll become the wolf.”

Shivering, JD wrapped his arms around himself. “Oh.” He then looked up at Maddie. “Do we only transform one day or three days, ‘because I know the moon is only really full on one day of the month, but you can see it’s fullness for at least three days.”

Maddie laughed lightly. “Aren’t you just a curious pup, but to answer you, again, its three days, JD.”

They continued talking, question upon question being asked and answered in return. While JD was still subdued at his world being shaken again, the questions seemed to brighten him up more.

After nearly two hours of talking, Maddie sent JD off to the others to help with daily chores and headed back to the cabin.

The cabin had been a godsend and the previous owner had been taken care of quickly. Maddie licked her licked in remembrance.

“Now, doesn’t that look decadent,” Del nearly purred at her as he grabbed her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder. “And what were you thinking about there.”

“My last good meal,” Maddie replied back.

Del chuckled. “And how is our newest pup?”

“Curious, he wants to know as much as he can before his first transformation.”

“Hmm, well it’ll either benefit us or backfire completely,” Del said and then twisted Maddie around so they were eye to eye. “I hope you aren’t getting too attached to him.”

Maddie scoffed. “I didn’t with the others, so why should I with him?”

“Good answer.” He crushed his lips against hers and then murmured in her ear. “I swear you’re almost part cat with each new play toy you want for every city we move to.”

She shrugged. “You told the others to tell their ‘tragic tales’ of their family members finding out and nearly killing them for being werewolves?” Maddie asked Del as she licked the pulse point at his neck.

“Of course,” Del said. “They know what to do.”

“Good.”

The two continued their dominance as clothes were stripped off and they tumbled into the bed.

~~~

It had been two days since they received the news about JD from Vin and Kate. Two worrying days and a couple of new holes in the office walls and they were finally about to insert Ezra into the group.

So far from the surveillance videos they were able to set up in bird nests, they had a basic view of the layout, but no sound.

It was on the third day that they saw JD. He looked tired and worn out.

”He looks lost,” Vin commented on the video.

“JD,” Buck whispered as he touched the screen.

Team Seven watched with hungry eyes as he talked to a woman that Josiah had identified as Kate’s sister, Maddie.

“Thought you said she was being held by that group?” Chris questioned Kate.

“Never said anything of the sort,” Kate snorted. “Just said I needed help in getting my sister back, never said she was part of the group.”

“There’s something here you’re not telling us.”

Kate smirked. “I’ve told you everything I know.”

Chris stepped in close to Kate’s personal space. “If my agent gets killed infiltrating this group,” he leaned in close to her ear. “They’ll never find your body.”


	10. Chapter 9

_The caribou feeds the wolf, but it is the wolf who keeps the caribou strong. -Keewation (Inuit) Proverb_

Ezra stood in the warehouse under his assumed name, Rod Foster. Rod had a history of getting things done and moving merchandise quickly.

His hair had been shorn short and he had some stubble on his chin. He felt slightly uncomfortable in the worn out jeans and work boots with a t-shirt and flannel shirt. But he didn’t let his discomfort shown.

He and his _contact,_ Deven Hill, were waiting for a man called Kirkland to show up.

Intel indicated that Kirkland was the primary mover for Del Spivak. He was the driver for most of the gun running jobs and picking up of the merchandise before a big heist.

“Kirkland should be here any minute now, Standish,” Deven said, wiping sweat off his brow.

“It’s Foster,” Ezra growled at him and took a step forward. “Remember that, Hill.”

Deven swallowed and nodded that he understood as he took a step back.

Rod Foster was a hard ass son of a bitch. Ezra let a bit of a smirk slid across his lips; he’d gotten most of the inspiration from Chris.

Ezra could only hope that whatever happened tonight, he’d be able to have access to the site where JD was and a rescue could be mounted right away. He needed to gain the group’s trust quickly and fast.

A banging on the side door startled him out of his thoughts.

“HILL! OPEN UP!!”

“That’s them,” Deven murmured and the duo moved to open the large metal side door for Kirkland.

Using the chains on the side, the door was quickly pulled up and the small delivery truck pulled in. The metal door was quickly shut.

Two men jumped out of the truck. One was weaselly looking and the other was taller and his eyes kept scanning the room.

“Who’s the new fella?” The weaselly one asked and Ezra looked at him.

 _This was Kirkland._ Ezra thought.

“This is Rod Foster,” Deven said as he started to help unload a couple of boxes. “He’s one of my investors and wanted to see where his merchandise was going.”

“I don’t like new comers,” The taller one growled.

“I’m not new to the scene,” Ezra grunted out.

 _The taller one was called Garber._ Ezra recalled from the pictures in Kate’s folder.

“Maybe, but I don’t like the smell of you,” Garber said as his nostrils flared, taking a step towards Ezra.

Ezra took a step forward, a defiant look in his face. “You don’t have to like the smell of me, but I am the one supplying the merchandise to you. Hill’s just a middleman.” He took another step forward so he was in Garber’s personal space. “Maybe I just wanted assurance that my merchandise was going to the proper people.”

Garber ducked his head a little at the power that Ezra was showing and then he grinned to Ezra’s surprise.

Laughing, he slapped Ezra on the back. “Man, you got some brass balls there.”

Ezra smirked. “In this line of work, you have to have them.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Kirkland muttered.

“You say somethin’ runt?” Garber grunted at Kirkland.

“No.”

The supplies were loaded up quickly and money was exchanged. Hill thanked them all for the business and left the warehouse quickly, leaving only Ezra, Garber and Kirkland there.

“Now that the middleman has left, let’s let the big boys do business,” Ezra stated as he looked at Kirkland and Garber. “I wanna meet the man in charge.” He held out a wad of crash to the two. “People talk and people are talking you’re the group who does gun running before the full moon. They’ve been calling you the ‘Bad Moon Gang’.”

“Really?” Kirkland asked eyes wide and then he elbowed Garber. “Didja hear that Garber?”

“I heard it,” Garber replied back and slapped Kirkland upside the head. “Settle down.”

Kirkland whimpered, a canine sound escaping his lips.

“I like you, Foster, yer straight up,” Garber said and then he stepped forward, grabbing the cash and pocketing it. “But there’s something about you that has my instincts screaming.”

Ezra let his eyes go cold and flat. “Maybe it’s because you recognize a fellow predator.”

“Garber!” Kirkland hissed. “He don’t smell like any…”

“Shut it, Kirkland,” Garber growled at him and then turned his attention back to Ezra. “So you wanna meet the man in charge, huh? I guess we can accommodate your request.” He indicated at Kirkland with his head. “Blindfold him.”

Kirkland giggled as he grabbed a small black bag out of the back of the truck. “Where we’re going, you don’t need to see no roads.”

Garber grabbed Ezra’s arms and manipulated them behind his back and tied them together with a garbage tie. Kirkland stepped forward and placed the black bag over Ezra’s head.

“Just some insurance, Foster,” Garber said in Ezra’s ear.

Ezra was in total darkness. He couldn’t see anything. He felt himself being picked up and tossed forward. He landed with a thud on a metal floor and he heard a grinding sound as he realized a door was being shut.

Vibrations shook the floor and he felt what he assumed was the truck move. He had managed to get up to a sitting position was leaning against one of the boxes.

He lost all sense of time inside the truck and it felt like they hit every possible pot hole in the city.

Sooner than he expected, he felt the van rumble to a stop and a banging sound, signaling doors being closed. A high pitched whining sound reached Ezra’s ears and the back door was opened.

Hands grabbed at his arms and he stilled the response to struggle. He felt his backside hit the ground hard and he stifled his yelped.

Grabbed again, he was hauled to his feet, the bag ripped free from his head and the tie surrounding his hands was cut loose.

Blinking and looking around, he realized the sun was setting and the camp was set up exactly how they saw in the videos. Campers in a circle with a few tents and a cabin off to the side.

Rubbing his wrists, he turned his attention back to Garber and Kirkland.

“C’mon, the boss will want to meet ya,” Garber stated and started to walk towards the cabin.

Following the taller man to the cabin, Ezra kept an eye open for any sign of JD.

 _C’mon, JD! Where are you?_ Ezra thought as he was led inside of the cabin. Looking around, he was drawn to Del Spivak and Maddie Stokes on the bed, cuddled up to one another in what looked like post coital bliss.

Garber was kneeling at the side of the bed, next to Del Spivak, who was running his hand through Garber’s black hair.

“And what did you bring us, Garber?” Del asked.

“Rod Foster, one of Hill’s suppliers,” Garber replied back and Ezra could see the man leaning into the touch.

 _What the hell?_ Ezra thought. _What kind of rabbit hole did he just fall into?_

All three of them turned their eyes to watch Ezra and Ezra felt like one of those rabbits being watched by a pack of hungry wolves in a nature documentary.

“Wanted an in to the ‘Bad Moon Gang’ and thought I could provide a more person to person type of business,” Ezra explained.

“Eliminate the middleman so to speak,” Del said, tilting his head to the side, nostrils flaring.

“Deven Hill is a good middleman, but with us doing business this way, it runs more smoothly and less of a pay cut for both of us.”

“Perhaps,” Del grinned and it was all teeth. “What do you think, Maddie?”

“I think…” Maddie began as she untangled herself from Del’s grasp and slid out from under the covers. She made her way over to Ezra, completely naked as she circled him. “I smell a dirty liar.” She snapped her teeth at him and Ezra subtly flinched.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Ezra stated evenly.

“I think you do,” Maddie sing-songed. She grabbed a handful of the flannel and inhaled deeply. “He smells like the cub.”

 _What did they mean by the cub? He had borrowed the flannel shirt from JD a while ago…by cub did they mean JD? Could they smell JD on him somehow?_

“He smelled suspicious and like lies, Alpha,” Garber said to Del.

“You did well, Beta,” Del praised Garber and then looked at Maddie. “What do you think, my dear?”

“I think he’ll make an excellent first meal for our little cub,” Maddie cackled.

To Ezra it was the cackle of a demented mad woman. “You’re mad.”

Brown eyes bore into Ezra’s green ones. “Maybe, but I’m still pretty.”

Del then looked at Ezra. “I’d run if I were you, you got Maddie all worked up and she needs to run off some energy.”

Green eyes looked at the naked form of Maddie Stokes and to Ezra’s horror her form was changing! Stumbling back, Ezra tried to make for the door of the cabin before he was tackled from behind and his head hit the floor hard.

A low growl sounded in his ears as he was flipped to his back and he came face to face with a large honey coloured wolf, eyes glowing amber. The sudden movement had blackness and stars dancing in his eyes.

“First two days, we’ll starve the cub and then on the third day,” Ezra heard Del say.

“The cub will have a tasty meal!” Garber finished.

He slid into unconscious to the sounds of growling and cackling.


	11. Chapter 10

_The gaze of the wolf reaches into our soul. -Barry Lopez_

“Fuck.”

The word summed up the entire situation perfectly as Buck, Josiah and Nathan watched an unconscious Ezra being tossed over a man’s shoulder and hauled away into the woods.

“We got to go after him,” Buck ordered as got up from his chair.

“Buck! We can’t right now!” Nathan hissed at him from their position inside the surveillance van.

“Listen to Nathan, Buck,” Josiah pacified. “Right now the odds are against us and while it hasn’t stopped us before, you must consider they have two hostages right now.”

Sighing out angrily, Buck let his head dropped. “You’re right, let’s report in to Chris and find out what the hell is going on, because Ezra is too good to be discovered that quickly.”

“We don’t know if his cover has been blown, they might’ve decided not to trust him right now,” Josiah said.

“Yeah and I’m a donkey’s uncle,” Nathan snorted.

“Well, you do have the ears sort of,” Buck easily joked.

Banter was easy right now and familiar and it was better than thinking something horrible had happened to Ezra.

~~~

Kate struggled in the grip that Chris Larabee had her in. She was slammed against the wall of the interrogation room and shook a few times.

“I want to know what you know, Stokes,” Chris growled. “Two of my agents are being held captive by your sister’s crew and the only thing holding me back from razing it to the ground is there’s something you’re not telling us. Something that had them finding out about Ezra.” He slammed her against the wall again. “You’re going to tell me everything, because if you don’t, I’m gonna sic Buck on you and if you think I’m worse right now, you’ve never seen the man when he’s protecting someone.”

 _Oh Freya, Fenrir and Thor!_ Kate cursed to Norse Gods of old. _This was going from bad to worse._ She involuntarily snarled at Chris as her eyes glowed amber and she snapped her teeth at him. _She was no submissive!_

“What the hell?” Chris muttered as he dropped her on her backside.

Vin quickly entered the interrogation room, Buck on his heels. “Everything all right here, Chris?”

“Her eyes fuckin’ glowed,” Chris snarled.

Looking at Kate, Vin could indeed see that Kate’s eyes were glowing, a soft amber colour then her normal icy blue. “Kate?”

“Fuck it,” Kate snarled and stood up, they could make out fangs in her mouth. “You want to know what’s going on here, Larabee? I’ll tell ya.”

All three men waited for a response.

Looking away to the side, she spat out a response. “Werewolves.”

“What?” Buck stated in disbelief.

“I want the truth and you’re giving me this bullshit?” Chris asked.

“I think she’s telling the truth guys,” Vin said.

Chris turned his head to look at Vin. “You believe her?”

“Yeah, I do.”

Buck threw his hands up in the air. “I don’t believe this shit.”

“Then believe this,” Kate declared and held out her hand in front of the others.

They watched in horrified fascination as Kate’s fingers extended and lengthened. Her nails curved into claws and within a couple of minutes, right in front of them were a large wolf paw.

Kate was panting heavily. “Believe me now?”

They nodded.

She shook her hand and it went back to human. Small and soft.

“You’ve always been this way?” Vin asked Kate softly.

“I’m a born werewolf so yeah Vin, I’ve always been like this,” Kate replied back. “I can change outside of the moon and I experience no pain when transforming.”

“Is this part of the reason why you didn’t want to get together?”

Kate nodded.

“Ladies, how about we get to the part where these werewolves have JD and Ezra and you two can have your chick flick moment later on,” Chris growled at them.

Then Buck moaned.

“Buck?” Chris asked his oldest friend in concern.

“JD...” Buck looked at Kate. “JD’s been infected, hasn’t he?”

Chris and Vin’s eyes widened in surprise. “What?”

Buck grabbed Kate by her jacket and slammed her against the wall. She started to growl low in her throat. “JD’s infected, isn’t he?”

“Yes,” Kate growled at Buck.

“Buck,” Chris warned.

“She was just going to let us walk into that base camp and let us get slaughtered so she could save her precious sister, Chris,” Buck snarled at Chris and then turned his attention back to Kate. “How do we turn JD back to normal?”

“You can’t.”

“LIAR!” Buck yelled in her face.

Kate sighed. “He has to eat the heart of the werewolf who turned him.”

Buck let go of her, eyes that were normally friendly were now cold as ice. “Good to know.”

“We hafta to let Nathan and Josiah what’s goin’ on,” Vin pointed out.

“Vin, take Kate here for a practical demonstration and fill them in what’s going on,” Chris ordered.

Vin nodded and helped Kate up. “Let’s go, Kate.”

The two left the interrogation room and Chris and Buck to themselves.

“Shitshitshitshit!” Buck muttered and then picked up a chair and threw it against the wall. “SHIT!”

“Buck, we’ll turn JD back to normal and rescue Ezra,” Chris promised.

“I know, but with curing JD, we’re turning him into a murderer,” Buck sighed. “Even when we get both back, we’re not going to win.”

“Better a murderer than turning into that creature that attacked him and Casey,” Chris said. “Better then letting him kill innocents three nights out of the month.”

Buck let his head drop. “I know, but it doesn’t make this any better.”

“I know, Buck, I know.”

~~~

“What did you find out from your source, Garber?” Del asked.

Garber held out a few sheets of paper, which Del grabbed and went over them. “My source from the police station managed to get this for me.”

“It says here he’s ATF.”

“He’s a part of the cub’s team,” Garber explained. “His name is Ezra Standish. He’s the undercover agent for Team Seven.”

Del chuckled. “So, the ATF thinks they can stop our gun running business, huh?”

“Apparently, Alpha.”

“Well then, we’re good enough for a couple of months, we can bypass the gun running this month,” Del contemplated out loud. “Garber, get the pack ready for guests.”

“On it, Alpha.”

“Time to talk to, Standish.”

~~~

JD followed the pipeline into the forest. Somewhere there was a crack and he was sent out to repair it. It was usually a two man job, but they said they trusted him to get it done. Plus there was something going on at the camp and he was still an unknown quantity.

It stung a little, but he understood.

Checking the toolkit he was given a scent caught his nose. It smelt familiar to him.

Nostrils flaring as his head turned from side to side, he caught the scent and followed his nose.

He was still getting used to his new senses, but he felt he was getting better. He had gotten some tracking lessons yesterday and he felt confident enough to follow the trail.

Ducking low branches and trekking through the brush, he nearly lost the trail twice, but found it again easily enough. The scent led him to a clearing in the forest.

In the clearing there was three large tree stumps.

And attached to the middle tree stump, was a familiar figure.

“Ezra?” JD breathed as he dropped his toolkit. Running forward, he found himself inhaling Ezra’s scent as he lightly slapped the under cover’s agent face. “Wake up.”

“Nnngh,” Ezra moaned.

“Ezra!” JD hissed out.

The man was unconscious, hands strung upwards and chained in padded cuffs attached to the tree stump. Standing up, JD grabbed the chains and pulled.

“AHHHHH!” JD screamed as his hands burned. The chains were silver.

Dropping to his knees, cradling his hands close to his chest, JD breathed through the pain.

“JD?”

Looking up, he saw Ezra was awake, but his eyes were wide.

“Ez, what are you doing here?” JD rasped out as he shuffled forward on his knees.

“JD, your eyes, they’re glowing amber,” Ezra whispered out.

JD lowered his head in shame; the fears that had been building the past few days were now crashing in on him.

 _Freak! Monster! Couldn’t even save your own fiancée!_

Burned hands clasped over his ears and JD started chanting a litany of, “Nononono!”

“JD!” Ezra yelled. “I need your help, so you need to be with me here!”

Lifting his head up, a couple of tears had trailed down and JD shuffled forward more so he was in Ezra’s personal space as his hands dropped down to his sides. Nostrils flaring as he inhaled more Ezra’s scent and he felt more at home with him than he had been with Kate’s pack.

“I need to grab the tools from the toolkit to help you out, Ezra,” JD sniffled as he stood up and ran quickly to gather the dropped toolkit. He stayed within Ezra’s line of sight the entire time and was back at Ezra’s side right away.

Taking out hammer, JD used the claw end and jammed it into the circle end of the screw, screwed into the stump. Grunting, JD pulled and pushed using the hammer.

It took a few tries but it popped out.

Groaning as his arms came down from their strained position, JD got to work using the hammer and a screwdriver to separate the cuffs that chained Ezra together.

“JD, why are your eyes glowing amber?” Ezra asked JD, but he suspected the answer.

JD flinched and missed hitting the end of the screwdriver.

“I’m a werewolf now, Ezra,” JD stated and then he looked at Ezra with wide eyes. “I know it sounds crazy, but I’m telling the truth!”

“I believe you, JD.”

“And – what?”

“The...creatures that tied me up here transformed before my very eyes,” Ezra explained. “That Maddie woman is crazy.”

“What?” JD asked in disbelief. “Maddie? Are you sure? She’s been nothing but helpful to me! She even explained about what happened to me, she’s been helping me with all of this.”

“Then why hasn’t she let you go?” Ezra asked gently.

“Because I’m dangerous to be around right now,” JD said softly. “And I don’t want to hurt the pack...” He shook his head. “I mean the team.”

“I don’t think that’s the case, JD,” Ezra said. “I believe she has nefarious purposes in store for you and I fear I have become part of it. Plus, JD, this is the gun running group we’ve been working on for the past couple of months.”

“No,” JD whispered.

“Yes.”

Taking in a couple of deep breaths to calm his nerves, JD continued his work on the chain while Ezra watched in on concern.

A couple of minutes later and JD gave a small crow of delight as the chain broke. They stood together as Ezra grabbed a wrench from the toolkit and JD grabbed the hammer as he discarded the screwdriver.

“JD, we will find a cure for you,” Ezra promised as he laid a hand of comfort on JD’s shoulder.

The amber bled out of JD’s eyes as he nodded and finally calmed down. Ezra let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding in.

“Ready to go?” Ezra asked.

“Yeah.”

Improvised weapons at their side, they started into the woods.

A chorus of howls had them jerking their heads up and to the sides, looking to see where the sound was coming from.

“We need to run,” Ezra ordered.

Nodding, the two broke out into a run, avoiding roots and low hanging branches from the trees.

They couldn’t have been five minutes into their escape when Ezra went down.

“EZRA!” JD screamed as he skidded to a stop.

Ezra was pinned down by a large horse sized wolf; the teeth were close to his throat. Growling, JD hefted his hammer up and his eyes glowed amber.

“Get the fuck away from him!” JD yelled out as he started forward, hammer raised high.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, JD.”

JD stiffened as he felt a hand wrap around the back of his neck. “Maddie.”

“Yes and you’ve been a very bad cub,” Maddie hissed in his ear. “Now, drop your weapon otherwise Ezra will join our pack.”

“You’re not my pack, he is,” JD hissed out but dropped his weapon.

“I’m sorry you feel that way, JD,” Maddie sighed and JD felt teeth clamp on the side of neck. Stiffening, he dropped to his knees as he tilted his head up. “That’s right, bitch. Submit.”

Ezra opened his mouth, to try and snap JD out of the trance he was put in, but the warning growl from the wolf pinning him. He watched as Maddie placed a bandana over her mouth and then pulled some sort of plant chain from her jean pocket. The chain was placed over JD and he fell over onto his side, eyes glowing amber, wide and unseeing.

“What did you do to him?” Ezra growled out and then yelped in pain when the wolf dug its claws into his shoulder.

Maddie made her way over to Ezra and squatted down. “Don’t worry, it’s just some wolfs bane. It acts as a sedative. He’ll be out as long as the chain is around his neck.” She ran a hand over Ezra’s face. “As for you, Ezra. We have plans for you. You’ll be JD’s first kill.”

Ezra tried to struggle but was stilled as the claws dug in deeper.

“And don’t worry, the claws digging into your back there, you won’t transform,” Maddie laughed at him. “You need to be bitten for that to happen, special sacs behind the teeth infect our intended pack members,” She leaned down closer and whispered in Ezra’s ear. “And you know what, that night, JD was bitten...his fiancée was especially tasty.”

Green eyes went wide at that statement.

“Take them both back to the cabin; tie JD to the bed and this one, chain him back up and leave him in view of JD, but unable to move,” Maddie ordered the large wolf holding Ezra down.

Feeling the wolf shift on top of him, Ezra was hauled to his feet.

“You utter bitch!” Ezra yelled at Maddie. “You will pay for everything you’ve done to JD!”

He slumped to unconscious as Garber used the wrench to clock him over the head. Hauling their prey over his shoulder, he idly licked his fingertips clean of the blood that had gathered when he pierced Ezra’s shoulder when in wolf form.

Maddie stepped forward and cleaned one of the fingers. “Mmm, he tastes delicious. I can’t wait until JD is finished with him on the full moon so we can have the leftovers.”

Garber chuckled as Maddie hauled JD over her own shoulder.

“Del was mentioning about speeding up the timetable and having the cub eat the prey on the first full moon, we just starve him now,” Garber explained to Maddie.

“Makes sense,” Maddie nodded as the two headed back to the camp. “Especially with the ATF heading our way,” She glanced up towards the sky. “Full moon is in a couple of days, we’ll be ready then and we can always cut the prey to have the cub head towards him when his change is upon him.”

“Should be a fun night,” Garber laughed.

Maddie joined in the laughter. “Definitely plenty of fresh meat.”


	12. Chapter 11

_Wolves are not our brothers; they are not our subordinates, either. They are another nation, caught up just like us in the complex web of time and life. -Henry Beston_

The current survallience that Team Seven had of the base camp of Del Spivak’s group was not comforting. It had shown images of the unconscious figures of Ezra and JD being hauled up to the cabin that seemed to act as the headquarters of this crew.

Chris had to physically hold Buck back from going out and rescuing the two.

Nathan was also raging when he could make out the dried blood on Ezra’s head.

Vin pulled Kate aside. “You realize when we go in; we won’t have any mercy for your sister.”

“I’ll take care of her, you just rescue your friends,” Kate responded back.

Josiah looked at the images in concern. “What is that around JD’s neck?”

Kate came up to the picture and sighed. “Looks like a wolfs bane plant chain. In small amounts it acts as a sedative to werewolves, too much and it’s deadly.”

“We’ll need to load up on that and lots of silver then,” Chris ordered.

“I’m sure I can come up with some tranquilizer darts filled with a derivative of the plant,” Nathan said.

“Get to it,” Chris said.

“I have some contacts where I can get some silver bullets,” Kate offered.

Chris looked at Kate and then nodded. “Take Vin with you.”

The underlying of ‘I don’t trust you’ was there, but it didn’t bother Kate. All she needed was her sister and the world would be okay again.

~~~

It took them two days to get all of the supplies ready and rankled Chris to be making the bust on the day of the full moon, a full moon where a camp full of people could turn into monstrous wolves.

 _Like JD._ Came the traitorous thought. Chris shook his head. _No, JD hadn’t transformed yet and there was a way to cure him. They just needed to find the wolf that infected JD first._

“Easier said than done,” Chris muttered aloud as he rechecked his ammo clip.

“Easier than what pard?” Buck asked Chris.

“Just thinking, Buck,” Chris replied back.

“Well get your head in the game, big dog, we’re getting JD and Ezra back today.”

The sentence was said with such conviction from Buck, that it reminded Chris of their days when they were in the SEALs and your buddy was the only one watching your back.

Well, he had more buddies now as he surveyed Vin, Josiah and Nathan. They had each other. It felt empty without JD’s chatter and Ezra’s comments about how his wardrobe would never be the same after a bust, but soon, the two would join them and they would be seven once again.

~~~

It took them longer to reach the base camp, longer than they would’ve liked. It was almost approaching twilight and then soon, it would be sunset.

And then they’d have to deal with a whole pack of werewolves.

 _Including JD._

Kate and Vin easily led them through the woods. They were silent predators as they glided through the forest. Easily ducking low hanging branches and going through the brush with nary a sound being uttered.

Tranquilizer guns filled with darts of liquefied wolfs bane and handguns loaded with silver bullets, they felt prepared.

A fist went up and the group stilled. Signals were given out and team ducked into separate bushes, downwind. A couple of people, one male and one female appeared and quickly dropped to the ground as the silent ‘thwip-thwip’ of tranquilizer darts sounded and hit them in the necks.

The wolfs bane did its job and knocked the two unconscious quickly.

Nathan checked their pulses and confirmed that they were knocked out.

Chris gave Vin a look which the younger man returned and grabbed Kate as they headed towards the campers.

Josiah and Nathan fanned out as Buck came up on Chris’s six and they went en route to the cabin where Ezra and JD were being kept.

“I don’t like the look of this pard,” Buck whispered to Chris through the throat mic. “It’s too quiet.”

“We don’t have any choice,” Chris replied back. “This is our best shot, unless you want JD transforming into a werewolf?”

Muttering under his breath, Buck took the lead as they checked for any visible signs of the werewolf pack. Breathing out, he watched as Chris counted down from three, two, and one and kicked down the door. Guns held out as they surveyed the scene.

JD was laid out on the bed, eyes wide and unseeing, glowing amber, plant chain around his neck. Ezra was unconscious and chained to the wall.

Chris made his way over to Ezra as Buck quickly headed over to JD.

Buck let his eyes roam over JD: the kid was spread eagle with chains keeping him tied to the bed and he looked dirty, like he’d been drag through the mud.

Exhaling slowly, Buck could hear Chris waking Ezra up as he slowly removed the plant chain from JD’s neck.

“JD?” Buck asked, hopeful.

Amber coloured eyes blinked a couple of times, before Buck suddenly found himself with JD’s nose practically pushed into the side of his neck.

“Mm, Buck,” JD moaned and Buck winced as he felt a tongue lick his skin. “You taste really good right now.”

Flopping back into the bed, chains still holding him tight, JD started to whimper and curl up into a ball.

Grimacing, Buck wiped the saliva away. “JD, you in there?”

“Buck, it hurts,” JD whined and the sound wasn’t human.

“What hurts?”

“Everything,” JD moaned and curled in even tighter. The chains strained as JD tried to manipulate his limbs.

“Hang on kid, I’ll get you out of there,” Buck whispered as he pulled a lock pick set from his TAC vest.

JD shook his head. “No! Don’t let me out.” He looked out from his ball, eyes wild. “The wolf will kill you!”

“Buck, everything okay there?” Chris called out.

“Kid doesn’t want out of his chains,” Buck called back.

“I’m a liability right now, Buck,” JD pleaded with Buck to understand.

Buck ran a hand over JD’s head as JD leaned into the touch, he steeled his resolve.

“We need to find the wolf that infected him.”

Ezra chose that moment to come to. “Nnnngh.”

“Standish, you alive?”

“Barely,” Ezra whispered as he blinked a few times and looked up at Chris. “For once, your appearance is a wondrous sight.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Chris chuckled. “Up you get, Standish.”

Ezra moaned as he was hauled to his feet, chains falling to his feet as Chris’s lock picking skills became evident.

Green eyes wandered over to where Buck and JD were. “How is he?”

“In pain,” Buck stated. “I think it’s because he’s a bitten werewolf instead of born, he’s feeling like this.”

“That makes sense,” Ezra nodded and did a double take. “How did you two hear about the werewolves?”

“Kate told us,” Chris said. “That’s the secret she was hiding.”

“That would’ve been useful information to know,” Ezra sniffed as he rubbed his wrists. “I was discovered due to JD’s scent in the flannel.”

“Damn.”

“Nnnngh,” JD groaned as he twisted in the sheets. His breath was coming out in short breaths, almost like he was panting. A sharp scream escaped from JD’s lips as he bucked and tried to escape.

“You need to be quiet, JD!” Buck hissed at his friend as he clamped a hand over JD’s mouth.

“Mmmm!” JD protested.

“As much as it pains me to admit this, but Chris, you need to go over there and assert your dominance over JD and perhaps he’ll quiet down,” Ezra pointed out.

Chris looked bewildered. “What?”

“JD is now a werewolf, it stands to reason he would respond to an alpha presence and Mr. Larabee, you are very much an alpha presence.”

Sighing, Chris wandered over to JD and Buck, Ezra following slowly behind him. Leaning over, he got into JD’s face. “You need to be quiet and quiet now!” Chris growled at JD.

Whimpering, JD nodded and tilted his head upwards, showing his submission.

“Damn,” Chris whispered.

“When JD gets better, we are so teasing him about this,” Buck chuckled.

As Buck went to remove his hand an explosion rocked the cabin. Chris and Ezra hit the floor as Buck covered JD with his body.

“What the hell exploded out there?” Chris demanded as they stood up slowly.

“Sounds like the party started without us,” Ezra grinned.

“Hopefully the werewolf that bit JD didn’t get blown up,” Buck said worried. “We still don’t know who it is.”

“It’s Maddie Stokes,” Ezra supplied.

“Shit,” Chris murmured.

“Kate can go to hell, she’s lied to us this entire operation and we only accepted her lies because JD and Ezra were in danger, well I say fuck her,” Buck growled out.

“Buck.”

“Don’t you ‘Buck’ me, you know I’m right.”

Chris sighed. “I know, just shit, this got more complicated.”

“I don’t see how,” Ezra said dryly.

Buck pulled out a silver knife. “ _Borrowed_ this off of Kate, I say we stick Maddie a couple of times, toss her in here and when JD transforms – dinner.”

“Are you even listening to yourself, here, Buck?” Chris asked his oldest friend.

Cold brown eyes met hazel green ones. “I am and I’m willing to live with myself to save JD. How about you?”

Exhaling angrily, Chris hefted up his tranq gun. “You have to ask?”

“Do I get a gun?” Ezra asked. “I’d hate to miss out on the murder going on.”

Handing Ezra one of the smaller tranq guns and a hand gun, they looked at JD who was curled into a ball whimpering, but trying to be quiet. The order that Chris gave him appeared to be understood.

“One of us needs to stay here to guard,” Chris pointed out.

“I’ll do it,” Ezra volunteered. “After two days of barely any water and food, I’m in no shape. Go help the others.”

“See you in a bit, Ez,” Buck said.

“It’s Ez-ra, two syllables, Buck,” Ezra protested lightly and watched as the two men headed out of the cabin and into the fray of fire.

Settling in and making sure he had a clear view of all exits, Ezra waited. “Hold on, JD. Hold on.”

~~~

Chris and Buck walked out of the cabin and into fire. There were bodies all around and they could make out Vin trying to shoot a man that Chris identified as Del Spivak. They couldn’t see Kate or Maddie anywhere and he could only hope that they hadn’t escaped in the confusion.

They needed Maddie after all.

Raising his tranquilizer gun, Chris took aim and fired.

 _THWIP!!_

So absorbed in trying to dodge Vin’s shots, Del barely heard the sound of the dart leaving Chris’s gun. It sunk into his thigh.

Snarling, Del turned around, eyes glowing amber and hands curled into claws. He looked ready to pounce forward.

 _THWIP! THWIP!_

Two more darts buried themselves into Del’s neck.

“This is not the end of my pack! This is not the end of me!” Del snarled, but he slowly sank into unconsciousness as the wolfs bane quickly ran through his veins.

Vin hopped down to the ground as Nathan and Josiah quickly joined up. All five of them looked around.

“Where’s Kate?” Buck demanded of Vin.

“Don’t know, didn’t have time to hold onto her as she took off right away into the brush,” Vin explained.

A couple of campers laid in pieces off to the side, the result of some bullets hitting the gas tank and the fires burned as the others fanned out, looking for Kate and Maddie.

BANG! BANG!

Fives heads turned towards the noise and Team Seven quickly ran towards the gunshots.

It felt likes hours, but it was only a couple of minutes and they came upon Kate holding her sister Maddie, one of the handguns off to the side. She was rocking the body back and forth; blood was also soaking Kate’s clothing.

“I’m sorry, Maddie! I’m sorry!” Kate whispered.

“Kate,” Vin whispered.

Kate looked up and her face looked blank. “Vin...I shot Maddie. We fought and the gun went off.”

“It’s okay, Kate, it’s okay,” Vin soothed. The others stood back as Vin approached the distraught werewolf, letting him lead. He kneeled down and pulled Kate into his arms.

Tears were silently running down her face, but she didn’t acknowledge them as Vin pulled her close and slowly started petting her hair.

“Kate,” Vin said, getting Kate’s attention. “Maddie is the one who infected JD. We need her heart to cure him.”

A couple of slow blinks and Kate looked at Maddie’s body and then back at Vin.

“What?”

Ezra then stepped forward towards the two. “It’s true, Ms. Stokes. Your sister admitted it to me.”

“You’re lying!” Kate snarled, teeth starting to elongate into fangs.

“I assure you, I am not,” Ezra said sternly. “Can you detect any kind of deceit on me?”

Kate got out of Vin’s arms and took a step forward, nostrils flaring as she inhaled Ezra’s scent. She could detect no lies or deceit from the southern man.

While Kate was inhaling Ezra’s scent, Nathan had made his way over to Maddie to confirm her death. Fingers pushed into her throat, Nathan waited a few seconds and then stilled. There was a beat underneath his fingers.

“CHRIS!” Nathan yelled. “Maddie’s alive!”

“What?” Chris growled.

Maddie’s eyes snap opened and she let a fist fly, hitting Nathan in the jaw. He flew several feet and landed on the ground hard and unconscious.

“Nathan!” Chris cried out.

Kate struggled in Vin’s arms as she attempted to break free. She bucked and managed to catch an elbow in Vin’s cheek and was about to run for her sister when she stumbled and fell to the ground unconscious.

Josiah’s hand held the dart that he had plunged into her neck.

“KATE!” Maddie yelled. She flipped up to her feet and growled low in her throat. “What the fuck did you do to my sister?”

“Knocked her out,” Josiah replied. “You on the other hand, have something we need.”

Maddie mocked them as she placed a hand over her left breast. “My heart?”

BANG!

Brown eyes widened in shock and Maddie looked down. A neat hole was in her abdomen. A hand clutched over it as she looked up.

Buck looked deadly with the gun raised and his normal warm brown eyes were hard.

BANG!

Another shot was fired and Maddie spun in half a circle as the bullet entered her shoulder. She heard the footsteps, but the silver was already affecting her as she felt something bite into her lower back.

She looked over and saw the moustached man and chuckled. “This just makes you exactly like me, law man.”

“I know,” Buck replied seriously. “I can live with it.”

Blood dribbled out of Maddie’s lips as she started to laugh and then sag to the ground.

Sheathing the knife and grabbing her shoulders, he looked at Chris who headed over and grabbed Maddie’s legs.

“Ezra, go check on Nathan and Josiah, you and Vin start clean up here,” Chris ordered as he and Buck lifted Maddie up. “We have a delivery to make.”

The two started towards the cabin.

Vin looked at Ezra and then at Kate’s prone form. “You go on and I’ll be there in a minute.”

Nodding at Vin, Ezra went past Josiah and they exchanged looks as they quickly went to work.

 _BANG!_

They ignored the gunshot.

~~~

Buck and Chris with their package made it to the cabin, Maddie was fading fast and she was babbling nonsense about ghosts and wolf gods and how she was better and she didn’t want to die.

They ignored her, but they couldn’t ignore the screams coming from inside the cabin. It was then they finally noticed the sun was setting.

While Vin and Chris had their own rapport and could instantly communicate with a look or glance, Buck had his own with his oldest friend. With a mere look, the two quickened their pace and entered the cabin.

JD was a mess on the bed. He was shaking and moaning and it looked like he managed to get one of his hand cuffs free. Amber eyes glared at them as he growled low in his throat.

“Buuuuuck,” Came a guttural sound. “Chrisssss.”

They saw the mouthful of teeth as JD arched in the bed and screamed.

“You get Maddie ready and I’ll get the door and JD,” Chris ordered Buck.

Nodding, Buck unsheathed the silver knife and cut open the shirt. Steeling himself, he plunged the knife into the left side of the chest, but not too deep and pulled downwards a bit. Pulling the knife out, he ignored the bubbling rasping sounds coming from Maddie’s throat.

The door they had battered down was still in once piece and hung to the side as Chris propped it up. They would need to make a quick getaway if JD wolfed out before they were ready.

Patting down Maddie’s jean pockets, Buck found some keys and he tossed them at Chris who caught them easily. Leaning over JD who was panting, he grabbed the young man’s chin and turned it towards him.

“JD, listen to me,” Chris ordered. He pointed at Maddie. “She’s the one that infected you; you need to eat the heart.”

Nostrils flared as JD’s hand flailed and tried to strike Chris. The blond haired man caught the hand easily.

“Nooo,” JD wailed. “Not...murderer!”

Chris looked at him with sympathetic eyes. “I’m sorry, JD, but when the moon rises, you won’t have a choice.”

Undoing the ankle cuffs and the wrist cuff, Chris and Buck quickly left the cabin, securing the door behind them.

JD was huddled on the bed as the sun slowly set. As soon as the bright light disappeared and the full moon slowly rose, the transformation began.

Howling in agony, JD’s fingers elongated and changed shape, turning into huge wolf paws. Bones painfully rearranged, his entire body shifted in length and hair grew everywhere. Clothes were ripped off with new sharp nails and the young, boyish face started to slowly elongate and push out from its natural structure. Ears grew pointed and up as the hair grew over his face.

Soon, a horse sized, black furred wolf stood on the bed. The springs creaked as the wolf slowly padded forward. The nose sniffing the air.

It could smell three scents, but the freshest one, was the one on the floor and leaking liquid. Lowering its muzzle, it nosed the body. Satisfied the prey wouldn’t escape, but paused in confusion when the prey’s paw started to weakly batter at his chest.

It didn’t care as it lowered its head and bit down.

~~~

Buck and Chris waiting outside of the cabin, the light of the full moon filling the night sky as they listened to the screams. They could hear the bones break. It sounded like sharp cracking noises.

“We did the right thing, right Chris?” Buck asked.

Chris nodded. “We did, don’t ever doubt it.”

“I won’t.”

Then there was silence.

A quiet scuffling sound was heard and then they heard Maddie scream.

It quickly died off and then a long mournful howl.


	13. Epilogue

_The timber wolves will be our friends  
We'll stay up late and howl,   
At the moon, till nighttime ends,   
Before going on the prowl   
-Calvin, "Calvin and Hobbes"_

The full moon shone brightly in the cemetery.

A lithe figure slowly padded silently along the path of gravel. It stopped near an old oak tree and in front of a grave.

A hand plucked at the weeds growing around the stone and tossed them to the side.

“Hey Casey.”

The figure stood up and the moon’s light bathed his face. JD Dunne stood whole and no longer a werewolf.

“Sorry it took this long to come visit again,” JD apologized. “It’s been a month since I was cured. Woke up naked and covered in blood next to Maddie. Definitely not a way you want to wake up to.” He shook his head. “I’m doing better and the nightmares aren’t quite as frequent.”

Slowly going to the ground, he sat cross-legged on the grass.

“I don’t know if you’re still around, but I’m sorry I yelled at you last time I saw you and I should’ve trusted you,” JD said. A tear escaped from his eye. “I was hella messed up and confused. But I am doing better.”

A honk sounded in the distance.

Chuckling, he looked over in the distance to see Buck waving frantically at him.

“Buck really hasn’t let me out of his sight and as much as I love the guy, he’s being a bit smothering right now,” JD sighed and looked down at his hands. “I can’t feel the wolf in me anymore, but the others have noticed some differences. I like my steak a little more raw than I used to and while my senses aren’t what they used to be when I was a werewolf, they still are a little enhanced. Enough to make me think I really smelt Buck’s animal magnetism.” A small sad smile appeared on his lips as the car honked again. “I’ve forgiven him for practically tossing me at Maddie, but the trust is going to take some time again. I’m half days back at work now and I don’t know what else to tell you, so I’m going to go and we’ll talk again later, Case.”

Standing up, he brushed his fingertips over the grace stone.

“Miss and love you, Casey,” JD whispered as he pressed his fingers to his lips and then touched them against the cool granite.

As he walked away from the grave, the wind picked up and rustled his hair, as if caressing him.

 _“Miss and love you too, JD.”_


End file.
